Corporation Tax

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has received any information from the Scottish Government on the (a) nature and (b) extent of its proposals for the devolution of powers in respect of the rate of corporation tax in Scotland.

Michael Moore: I met with the First Minister on 12 May to discuss the Scotland Bill. At this meeting the Scottish Government committed to provide detailed information on their proposals for devolution of powers, including corporation tax. To date, no information has been provided on any of their proposals.

Injunctions: Mass Media

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Justice on the effects of super-injunctions made under English law on the freedom of the press in Scotland.

Michael Moore: The Attorney-General confirmed in answer to an urgent question in the House on 23 May 2011, Official Report, columns 633-644, that the Prime Minister would be asking for a Joint Committee of both Houses to be established to consider the current law in relation to privacy and the use of anonymity injunctions and super-injunctions. The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, the right hon. and learned Member for Rushcliffe (Mr Clarke) and the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, the right hon. Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), are in the process of liaising with the Chairs of the Committees with an interest in this area and with the House Authorities regarding the terms of reference, membership and timetable for the new Joint Committee.

Arts

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport 
	(1)  whether officials in his Department have had discussions with the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) following the publication of UNCTAD's 2010 Creative Economy report;
	(2)  whether officials in his Department are participating in UN Conference on Trade and Development work on improving the measurement of creative economies globally to enable international comparison.

Jeremy Hunt: holding answer 13 June 2011
	Officials in my Department have noted the publication of the 2010 Creative Economy report but have not had any subsequent discussions on it with the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and are not directly participating in their improvement work. However, we are actively participating in a European Statistical System Network aiming to establish a more consistent way of measuring the cultural and creative industries. This work is now moving into its latter stages, and we anticipate that UNCTAD would consider this work in their development.

Olympic Games 2012: Betting

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will ensure that the Gambling Commission's Licence Condition 15 applies to all betting operators taking bets prior to the London 2012 Olympic games.

John Penrose: The Gambling Commission's Licence condition 15.1 applies to all British-based betting operators. Overseas based operators are bound by the requirements of their own jurisdictions.

Olympic Games 2012: Northern Ireland

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent steps he has taken to promote Northern Ireland as a venue for training camps for foreign nations participating in the London 2012 Olympics.

Hugh Robertson: The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic games (LOCOG) have offered support to Northern Ireland in promoting them as a venue for pre games training camps (PGTCs), most recently through LOCOG Board Member Jonathan Edwards' attendance at an event in the House of Lords in May 2011 to promote PGTCs in Northern Ireland to Latin American nations, I also discussed the issue directly with my Northern Ireland counterpart during my visit on 9 March 2011.
	Potential PGTC venues in Northern Ireland are listed in the PGTC Guide. Agreements for use of PGTCs are made directly between a National Olympic Committee or National Paralympic Committee and the facility.

Funeral Payments

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will consider the merits of increasing funeral payments to reflect the recent trends in funeral costs.

Steve Webb: Funeral payments provide a significant contribution towards the cost of a simple, low cost respectful funeral. The scheme meets the full costs of the cremation or burial and provides up to £700 towards other costs.
	The Government accepts that the other costs associated with a funeral are increasing and cannot always be met from the £700 limit. This is why we are taking powers in the Welfare Reform Bill to extend access to social fund budgeting loans to include funeral costs and maternity items. This change will provide additional support to those on low incomes at expensive times in their lives.

Managing Agents: Mental Health

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff employed by ATOS to work on contracts with his Department have a recognised mental health qualification; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: The information is not readily available and could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.
	Atos do employ health care professionals with mental health qualifications in the DWP Medical Services contract. However, there is no requirement for health care professionals who conduct assessments for benefit purposes to have mental health qualifications because entitlement to benefit is based upon the functional impairment associated with the underlying medical condition, rather than the nature of the medical condition itself.
	For this reason all health care professionals who carry out assessments for benefit purposes are trained in disability assessment medicine and this includes assessment of people with mental health problems.

Pensioners: Coventry

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effect of the 2011 Budget on pensioners resident in Coventry.

Steve Webb: The impacts of the tax and benefit measures announced in the Budget are only available at an aggregate level, lower geographical or household type disaggregation do not provide sufficiently robust results.
	In the Budget 2011 the Government announced their intention to bring forward proposals to manage future changes in the State Pension age more automatically, including the option of a regular independent review of longevity changes. In addition the Budget announced that the Government would look to reforming the state pension system for future pensioners so that it provides simple, contributory, flat-rate support above the level of the means tested guarantee credit.
	Both of these measures are the subject of the consultation document: A state pension for the 21st century; the consultation closes on 24 June 2011. Neither of these measures will see impacts on pensioners in the short term. More detailed proposals, alongside a full impact assessment, will be published if the Government decides to proceed with reform.

Social Security Benefits

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the number of people in receipt of an active benefit who are unable to speak English to a level which would enable them to take up employment; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: Information on the number of people on an active benefit who are unable to speak English to a level which would enable them to take up employment is not available.
	The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills collects information on why a learner has received fee remission for any learning they undertake. This data provides some information on claimants, though it does not provide an accurate picture on the number of learners who are also benefit claimants, nor on what other learning and or benefit entitlements that person might also have. For the 2009-10 academic year, 71,000 learners studying English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) claimed fee remission as they were in receipt of an income-related benefit and 14,000 learners claimed fee remission as they were in receipt of jobseeker's allowance. A further 10,700 learners in 2009-10 studied ESOL through the Employability Skills Programme.
	Information on participation on ESOL courses is published in a quarterly statistical first release and the latest edition, published 31 March 2011, is available online at:
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_current

Universal Credit

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 23 May 2011, Official Report, column 46WS, on universal credit (review of passported benefits), what plans he has to publish the non-binding interim report referred to in the terms of reference of the review;
	(2)  whether the Social Security Advisory Committee plans to hold a public consultation as part of its review;
	(3)  what plans the Social Security Advisory Committee has to consult stakeholders as part of its review;
	(4)  whether he proposes that the Social Security Advisory Committee should (a) consult Government Departments and (b) advise on any implications of its recommendations for Government departments as part of its review.

Chris Grayling: The Committee is in the early stages of the review and will be publishing a public consultation document seeking views on passported benefits under universal credit shortly.
	The Committee plan to consult with stakeholders, including other Government Departments and devolved Administrations to seek their views and may consider the implications for other Government Departments of the treatment of passported benefits under universal credit. The Committee has been asked to produce an interim report for the Secretary of State for the Department for Work and Pensions by the end of September and will produce a final report in January 2012, which will be published.

Working Conditions: Temperature

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on determination of the long-term and short-term physical and psychological effects on workers of exposure to workplace temperature above 30 degrees Celsius.

Chris Grayling: In 2009 HSE commissioned an independent review into workplace temperatures, which drew on the wide range of non-Government research available. Following this review HSE conducted a survey about temperatures in workplaces, to which 2,933 completed responses were submitted. Evaluation of this and other data provided little evidence of significant numbers of illnesses, long or short term, physical or psychological, caused or exacerbated by exposure to high temperatures.

Libya: Armed Conflict

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many RAF personnel are active as part of Operation Ellamy; where each unit is based; and what the average (a) daily and (b) monthly cost of operating each such unit has been.

Nick Harvey: As of 1 June 2011 there were around 900 RAF personnel deployed overseas on Operation Ellamy. We have made use of existing overseas bases such as Cyprus and maintain a small HQ presence within NATO in Naples and Poggio as well as having a small number of liaison officers deployed to the HQs of our allies. In addition a small number of personnel are deployed to Benghazi, Libya in support of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office mission there.
	The RAF personnel deployed in support of Operation Ellamy are a mixture of formed units and augmentees, the breakdown across the major deployed locations and the capabilities they are supporting as at 1 June 2011 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Capability supported Number of RAF personnel  (1) 
			 Gioia Dell Colle, Italy Typhoon Aircraft 550 
			  Tornado Aircraft  
			    
			 Trapani, Italy Sentry Surveillance Aircraft 150 
			  VC10 Tanker Aircraft  
			    
			 Naples, Italy Headquarters staff <50 
			    
			 Poggio Renatico, Italy Headquarters staff 50 
			    
			 Akrotiri, Cyprus Nimrod Surveillance Aircraft 100 
			  E3-D AWACS Aircraft  
			  Sentry Surveillance Aircraft  
			  VC10 Tanker Aircraft  
			 Total deployed on Operation Ellamy  900 
			 (1) Rounded to the nearest 50 personnel 
		
	
	The precise number of personnel overseas fluctuates on a daily basis for a variety of reasons, including temporary absence for training, evacuation for medical reasons, the roulement of forces, visits arid a range of other factors. We do not, therefore, publish actual figures for personnel deployed.
	As I have said before, I expect the cost of the UK's involvement in NATO operations over Libya to be modest in comparison to other operations such as Afghanistan. It is still too early to give a robust estimate of the final costs of the operation. I can, however, provide initial indications of average accommodation, allowances and fuel costs for the main deployed locations, for all three services and civilians.
	Accommodation
	The approximate average monthly cost, assessed up to 1 June 2011, for accommodation of all UK personnel at the main locations is provided in the following table. The costs for Akrotiri accommodation are the additional costs to support Ellamy personnel over and above the normal costs of accommodation at the base.
	
		
			  Approximate monthly accommodation costs (£) Approximate daily accommodation costs (£) 
			 Gioia Dell Colle, Italy 1,000,000 30,000 
			 Trapani, Italy 300,000 10,000 
			 Poggio Renatico, Italy 150,000 5,000 
			 Naples, Italy 60,000 2,000 
			 Akrotiri, Cyprus 42,000 1,400 
		
	
	Allowances
	There are two types of personal allowance paid to service personnel in Italy. Longer separation allowance (LSA) is paid on an accrual basis for military personnel separated from their families and will continue to be paid for the duration of the operation. The recorded costs of LSA for deployed personnel in Italy is around £600,000 per month or £20,000 per day.
	Local overseas allowance (LOA) is paid for personnel on operations before a complete welfare package has been set up as is currently the case in Poggio Renatico and Naples. The recorded costs of LOA for deployed personnel in Italy and Cyprus is around £50,000 per month or £1,700 per day.
	Fuel
	Aviation fuel costs average around £1.2 million per month or £43,000 per day, although the costs vary week by week.

Navy: Vessels

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  (a) how many naval aviators are currently training with foreign navies, (b) with which navies they are training, (c) how many such personnel are qualified for carrier operations using catapults and traps and (d) which aircraft they are certified on;
	(2)  what rules of engagement apply in combat situations to Royal Navy aviators stationed on foreign aircraft carriers;
	(3)  when he proposes that Royal Navy aviators will be assigned to the air wing of the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle.

Nick Harvey: There are currently two Royal Navy pilots undertaking fast jet training with foreign navies: both are under training with the US Navy. The two pilots are qualified for day catapult and arrestor carrier operations on the T/A-45 Goshawk aircraft. One further pilot has completed training and is both day and night qualified on the F/A-18E Super Hornet.
	UK personnel operating with other forces would be subject to UK law, and applicable international law, at all times. We do not discuss specific rules of engagement as their disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.
	Discussion between the Royal Navy and the French Navy remains ongoing regarding the timing, training and placement of Royal Navy aviators into the Charles de Gaulle in support of the UK-France Letter of Intent.

Legal Aid

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people in Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency received legal aid in each category of assistance in (a) 2009 and (b) 2010.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Legal Services Commission (LSC) is responsible for administering the legal aid scheme in England and Wales.
	The LSC does not record the number of people who receive legal aid, but instead records the number of 'acts of assistance'. One individual may receive a number of separate acts of assistance, and one act of assistance can help more than one person.
	The following table shows the numbers of acts of assistance delivered by legal aid providers with postcodes falling within Bexleyheath and Crayford. All acts of assistance are based on the solicitor's location, which may not reflect where the client is based. The data is only available by financial and not calendar year.
	
		
			 Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency 
			  Crime lower claims Legal help new matter starts Civil rep. certificates issues Crime higher cases 
			 2008-09 2,713 666 325 291 
			 2009-10 3,051 701 299 339

Prisons: Education

Hywel Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent discussions he has had with the National Offender Management Service concerning prisoner education, including Open University opportunities.

Crispin Blunt: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and the Ministry of Justice recently conducted a joint review of offender learning in England. The resulting report ‘Making Prisons Work: Skills for Rehabilitation’, published last month, sets out a reform plan for offender learning.
	The Minister of State for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning, my hon. Friend the Member for South Holland the Deepings (Mr Hayes), set out the Government's position on higher education for prisoners in England in his answer on 8 June 2011, Official Report; column 394W. The nature of the changes and how these will be implemented are currently being agreed between BIS and the Ministry of Justice.

Reoffenders

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what arrangements are in place for agencies involved in the payment by results schemes in Lewisham and Croydon to coordinate their activities;
	(2)  what steps he plans to take to monitor any change in reoffending rates arising from the payment by results schemes in Lewisham and Croydon;
	(3)  what reduction in reoffending rates will need to be achieved in order for the agencies to receive additional resources under the payment by results schemes in Lewisham and Croydon;
	(4)  whether there are any restrictions placed upon the agencies involved in the payment by results schemes in Lewisham and Croydon regarding the receipt of additional funds;
	(5)  whether he has any plans to expand the payment by results schemes in Lewisham and Croydon to other areas;
	(6)  what recent assessment he has made of arrest rates over the period of the payment by results schemes in Lewisham and Croydon.

Crispin Blunt: The Ministry of Justice announced in the Green Paper, “Breaking the Cycle”, published in December 2010, that it will test a local approach to payment by results. The aim is to encourage local statutory partners to reduce crime and reoffending, and enable them to reinvest any savings that their success realises for the justice system in further activity to prevent reoffending in their communities.
	The Ministry of Justice will run pilots for two years in Manchester City region and across a number of London boroughs, including Croydon and Lewisham.
	The local approach focuses on whether more effective working to reduce crime and reoffending can result in reductions in demand on the justice system. The Ministry of Justice has developed a model to measure the demand on the justice system during the pilots and make payments to the pilot areas accordingly.
	Partners in the pilot boroughs are developing their delivery plans for the pilots, and have the freedom to approach the pilots according to their local needs and priorities. The London Crime Reduction Board (LCRB) is supportive of the opportunity to test this justice reinvestment approach in London. The members of the LCRB Delivery Management Group, including the Metropolitan Police Service, London Probation Trust, Greater London Authority, Metropolitan Police Authority and London councils, have agreed to support the pilot areas to unlock barriers to delivery; identify opportunities for collaboration, and share good practice.
	The Ministry of Justice will evaluate the pilots to understand how they are associated with changes in demand on the criminal justice system. This will include the monitoring of reoffending and crime rates, as well as a wider range of criminal justice system data, including policing trends, and this will be finalised as part of the evaluation approach for the pilot. The Ministry of Justice has done some analysis of demand in setting up the pilots, but there are no projections moving forward.
	The Ministry of Justice will use the learning from the pilots to help to inform proposals for future reforms to the system, alongside the other payment by results pilots. There are no immediate plans to expand the approach to other areas.

Schools: Construction

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many new (a) primary, (b) secondary, (c) special needs and (d) other schools were built in each of the last 10 years.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 10 June 2010
	In the last 10 years, as of May 2011, 148 new build schools procured through the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) and Academies programme were built. These included secondary, PRU, all-through and post-16 schools. In addition, during this time, 33 new special educational needs schools were built.
	
		
			  New build mainstream schools procured via the BSF and Academies programme New build SEN schools procured via the BSF and Academies programme 
			 2006 0 3 
			 2007 4 0 
			 2008 20 5 
			 2009 33 9 
			 2010 63 9 
			 2011 28 7 
		
	
	Data received from the local authorities in April 2010 showing the number of new build primary schools due to be completed by the end of May 2011, indicated a total of 118 new schools(1). As these figures are local authority estimates it would not be accurate to split them into individual years.
	Prior to Partnerships for Schools being given the remit to deliver the BSF programme, there were 626 PFI schools (both primary and secondary). Some of these schools will have included an element of refurbishment (as opposed to being 100% new build). Some of the schools will have been largely refurbishments.
	(1) As explained, these data were collated from the local authorities in April 2010 and figures have been calculated from their estimates.

Research Councils

Hywel Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales 
	(1)  what recent discussions she has had with UK research councils on steps to ensure that Welsh higher education institutions receive adequate research and development funding; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what recent discussions she has had with Ministers in the Welsh Government on steps to ensure that funding distributed by UK research councils is distributed appropriately within Wales; and if she will make a statement.

David Jones: The Secretary of State for Wales, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chesham and Amersham (Mrs Gillan), discusses a range of issues with the First Minister. The Secretary of State and I also regularly meet representatives of higher education institutions and other stakeholders to discuss a variety of issues including the importance of funding for research and development in Wales. For instance, I visited the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS) in August last year to see the high quality research they carry out.
	I welcome the fact that valuable assets, including IBERS, continue to receive significant funding for research from the UK research councils, and additional financial support from the UK Government and the Welsh Government as well as the European Union.
	Research Councils UK is the strategic partnership of the UK's seven research councils. The distribution of research funding by research councils is judged on an individual basis and funding decisions are made on the basis of an independent, expert peer review.
	The Higher Education Funding Council for Wales wrote on 3 June to the heads of the higher education institutions and the principals of directly-funded further education colleges in Wales, setting out details of research capital funding totalling over £4 million that will be provided in 2011-12 to qualifying institutions. This funding is provided in part by the Department of Business Innovation and Skills and the Welsh Government.

Childhood and Families Task Force

David Lammy: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Hemsworth of 8 November 2010, Official Report, column 24W, on the Childhood and Families Task Force, if he will direct the Cabinet Secretary to add the Childhood and Families Task Force to the Cabinet Office list of Cabinet Committees; on what dates the Task Force has met; and whether the Task Force has been established for the duration of the present Parliament.

David Cameron: The Childhood and Families Task Force, which I chair, has met frequently since it was created in June 2010. It is not a formal Cabinet Committee. Its role is to identify and prioritise a small number of specific policy proposals that will make the biggest difference to children and families. The work of the task force is ongoing and involves Ministers and officials across Government, including from the Treasury, the Departments for Education, Business, Health and Work and Pensions.

Devolution: Scotland

Ann McKechin: To ask the Prime Minister what undertakings he gave to the First Minister of Scotland at the most recent Joint Ministerial Committee meeting in response to requests for further devolution of powers in respect of (a) borrowing, (b) the Crown Estate, (c) corporation tax, (d) excise duty, (e) broadcasting and (f) EU negotiations.

David Cameron: I refer the hon. Member to the communiqué which was released following the Joint Ministerial Committee meeting on Wednesday, 8 June 2011. This is available on the No. 10 website:
	http://www.number10.gov.uk/news/latest-news/2011/06/joint-ministerial-committee-communique-64530

IBM

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many contracts his Department holds with IBM; and what the (a) purpose and (b) monetary value of each such contract is.

Gregory Barker: Since its creation in October 2008 the Department has made payments of £187,138 to IBM in relation to the secondment to the Department of three IBM consultants to provide technical assistance on offshore renewables, carbon budgets and energy innovation work.

Office for Nuclear Regulation

Therese Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the transfer of ministerial responsibility for the Office of Nuclear Regulation; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Hendry: I have not held any meetings with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Mr Duncan Smith), regarding the transfer of ministerial responsibility for the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR).
	The ONR was established as an agency of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) on 1 April, pending legislation to create a new independent statutory body outside of the HSE to regulate the nuclear power industry. Department for Work and Pensions and Department for Energy and Climate Change officials are currently developing the detail of the planned legislation. This will encompass the governance framework for the ONR, including departmental sponsorship arrangements.

Serco

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many contracts his Department holds with SERCO; and what the (a) purpose and (b) monetary value of each such contract is.

Gregory Barker: Since its creation in October 2008 the Department has made payments of £411,512 to Serco. £385,000 related to a contract to provide advice on the New Nuclear build programme. The remaining £27,000 related to various one-off services. Information is not available on the lifetime value of these contracts.

Income Tax : Personal Allowance

Matthew Offord: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect on low-income families of the increase in the income tax personal allowance in April 2011.

David Gauke: In the June 2010 Budget the Government announced a £1,000 increase in the income tax personal allowance for those aged under 65, taking it from £6,475 in 2010-11 to £7,475 in 2011-12. HM Revenue and Customs estimate that this will remove over 800,000 of the lowest income taxpayers from income tax altogether and will benefit around 23 million basic rate taxpayers by an average of £160 a year in real terms. This is part of our long-term objective to increase the personal allowance to £10,000, with real terms steps in that direction every year.

Bank Levy

Paul Flynn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had on implementation of a financial transaction tax at a global level.

Mark Hoban: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Hartlepool (Mr Wright) on the 23 May 2011, Official Report, column 357W.

Business Growth Fund

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much he estimates is to be made available through the Business Growth Fund following the withdrawal of the financial contribution proposed by Santander.

Mark Prisk: [holding answer 8 June 2011:I have been asked to reply.
	The amount committed to the Business Growth Fund by the banks remains £2.5 billion. The fund is fully capitalised and organised by the remaining banks, who have demonstrated their commitment to its aims and are already sourcing investment opportunities following the fund's launch on 19 May. The Business Growth Fund is a long-term intervention, funded fully by the banks, and designed to provide finance for firms seeking growth capital helping to fund the recovery which fall between initiatives for small business support and those for larger companies.

European Stability Mechanism

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many officials in his Department have been assigned to work on the creation of a permanent eurozone-only European stability mechanism.

Mark Hoban: The UK is participating in the discussions on the design of the European Stability Mechanism (ESM), as are all member states, in line with the conclusions of the December European Council. Although the ESM will be established by euro area member states, issues considered in the discussions on its design may have impacts that could affect the European Union as a whole, and therefore the UK.
	As a result, a range of officials are involved in this work as part of their usual responsibilities.

European Stability Mechanism

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what meetings he has had with his EU counterparts to discuss a permanent eurozone-only European stability mechanism.

Mark Hoban: Treasury Ministers and officials have discussions with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery.
	The UK is participating in the discussions on the design of the European Stability Mechanism (ESM), as are all member states, in line with the conclusions of the December European Council. Although the ESM will be established by euro area member states, issues considered in the discussions on its design may have impacts that could affect the European Union as a whole, and therefore the UK.

Pregnant Women: Grants

Julie Elliott: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many health in pregnancy grants were made in Sunderland Central constituency in 2009-10.

David Gauke: Geographical analysis of the number of people benefiting from the Health in Pregnancy Grant has not previously been undertaken and therefore this information is available only at disproportionate cost.

Private Finance Initiative

Michael Meacher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the (a) total updated value of private sector investment in private finance initiative contracts in each Department since 1990 and (b) cost to the public purse of (i) current and (ii) planned private finance initiative contracts in (A) 2010-11 and (B) each of the next five financial years.

Danny Alexander: HM Treasury does not hold historical data on the level of private sector investment in PFI. However the capital value of signed projects may be used as an estimate. The following table lists the capital value of all UK PFI projects which have been signed since 1992.
	
		
			 Department Capital value of   contracts  (£ million) Number of contracts 
			 Cabinet Office 12.0 1 
			 Crown Prosecution Service 18.2 1 
			 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills 58.2 2 
			 Department for Communities and Local Government 2,116.5 64 
			 Department for Culture, Media and Sport 307.9 16 
			 Department for Education 7,757.8 162 
			 Department for Energy and Climate Change 4.4 1 
			 Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 3,058.9 24 
			 Department for Transport 6,643.3 56 
			 Department for Work and Pensions 1,085.7 4 
			 Department of Health 11,886.6 116 
			 Foreign and Commonwealth Office 91.0 2 
			 GCHQ 331.0 1 
			 HM Revenue and Customs 622.0 8 
			 HM Treasury 141.0 1 
			 Home Office 848.2 25 
			 Ministry of Defence 9,064.3 46 
			 Ministry of Justice 798.6 23 
			 Northern Ireland Executive 1,785.9 37 
			 Scottish Government 5,703.8 84 
			 Welsh Assembly 543.9 24 
			 Total 52,879.2 698 
		
	
	The costs of signed PFI contracts for 2010-11 and the following five financial years are as follows. These are not discounted.
	
		
			 Financial year Cost (£ million) 
			 2010-11 7,982.9 
			 2011-12 8,569.2 
			 2012-13 9,064.0 
			 2013-14 9,497.2 
			 2014-15 9,646.3 
			 2015-16 9,699.8 
		
	
	There were 61 PFI projects in procurement at the time of the last PFI data collection (March 2011). The cost of these across financial years will not be confirmed until the final contracts are signed. Once signed we will collect details, including costs, in the periodic PFI data collection exercises, and publish them on the HM Treasury website.
	The PFI data above are provided by Departments and published on HM Treasury's website at:
	www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/ppp_pfi_stats.htm
	The data were last updated in March 2011.

Rent a Room Scheme

Bill Esterson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the extent to which allowances under the Rent a Room scheme have been aligned with increases in the level of rents; and whether he has any plans to review this scheme to ensure that it remains effective.

Justine Greening: I refer the hon. Member to the Government's response to the consultation ‘Investment in the private rented sector’, available at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/investment_in_the_uk_ private_rented_sector_response_summary.pdf

Tax Evasion: Tax Avoidance

William Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what recent discussions he has had with his G20 counterparts on the adoption of country by country reporting on levels of tax evasion and avoidance;
	(2)  what his policy is on the adoption by the G20 of country by country reporting on levels of tax evasion and avoidance.

David Gauke: The Chancellor has engaged with G20 counterparts on a range of issues related to tax and development, including issues around tax evasion and avoidance, and international rules on transparency in the extractives industry.
	Work by the OECD Tax and Development Task Force on the costs and benefits of country by country reporting is ongoing. The Government support this work and hope it will provide solid, practical evidence which governments—including those in the G20—can use to assess different approaches to transparency.

Welfare Tax Credits: Warrington

Helen Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families in Warrington North constituency were in receipt of tax credits in financial year (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and what the average amount received per family was in each year.

David Gauke: Statistics for the financial years 2010-11 and 2011-12 are not yet available. The latest information on the number of families receiving tax credits is for the tax year 2009-2010 in an HMRC publication called ‘Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics, Finalised annual awards 2009-10, Geographical analysis’. This provides data on tax credit uptake by each parliamentary constituency, and also gives the average amount received per family that year. This can be found at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-geog-final-awards-may11.pdf
	The total number of families in receipt of tax credits in Warrington North in 2009-2010 was 5,500 and the average value that was received per family was £4,128.

Asylum: Grants

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 11 May 2011, Official Report, column 1216W, on asylum: grants, how much has been allocated to each charity and non-governmental organisation listed in 2011-12.

Damian Green: holding answer 10 June 2011
	The amount of funding allocated in grants to charities and non-governmental bodies involved in asylum matters for 2011-12 is shown in the following table. Some of the Assisted Voluntary Returns schemes whose costs are included in these figures apply to other migrants as well as asylum-seekers.
	
		
			 PQ 59222-Annex 
			 Grant Recipients Nature of Grant/Project 2011-12 (£) 
			 Migrant Helpline One-Stop Service 131,698 
			  Wraparound 450,929 
			 Refugee Action One-Stop Service 1,116,580 
		
	
	
		
			  Wraparound 406,340 
			  Assisted Voluntary Returns 10,900,000 
			  Key Worker Pilot 164,000 
			 Refugee Council Strategic funding 174,340 
			  One-Stop Service 1,857,264 
			  Wraparound 893,606 
			  Children's Panel 800,000 
			 Scottish Refugee Council One-Stop Service 399,405 
			  Wraparound 228,930 
			  Key Worker Pilot 17,680 
			 Welsh Refugee Council One-Stop Service 327,904 
			  Wraparound 187,344 
			  Key Worker Pilot 7,980 
			 Notes: (i) figures for 2011-12 are taken from the expenditure budget of the UK Border Agency.

Departmental Contracts

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with which companies her Department has contracts; what the monetary value is of each such contract; what the (a) commencement and (b) expiry dates are of each contract; how many unsuccessful bidders there were for each such contract; and how much has been paid in penalties for any under-performance in respect of each such contract.

Damian Green: In the financial year 2010-11, the Home Department, inclusive of Executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs), spent £2.9 billion with over 3,500 suppliers. Information to answer each other part of the question is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	All tender opportunities above Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) level are placed on the Tenders Electronic Daily (TED) portal. Since April 2009, tender opportunities, irrelevant of value, have been published via our Procurement and Commercial Toolkit (PCT) eSourcing portal on the Home Office website. In addition, all opportunities and tender documents for tenders over £10,000 have been placed on the Cabinet Office's Contracts Finder portal since November 2010, together with placed contracts over £10,000 since January 2011.
	All expenditure over £25,000 is published on a monthly basis within the Transparency section on the Home Office website. This is linked to the 'Opening Up Government' data.gov.uk website, containing all Government departmental spend data.

Drugs: Crime

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 19 May 2011, Official Report, column 301W, on drugs, when the terms of the Government's annual review of the 2010 Drugs Strategy will be finalised; if she will place a copy of the terms in the Library when finalised; and when she expects to publish the findings of that review.

James Brokenshire: The Inter Ministerial Group on drugs agreed on 23 May that the annual review for 2010-11 of the drugs strategy would:
	Review the strategy a full year after implementation with a view to publication by the end of March 2012;
	Involve the voluntary and community sector in the review process as appropriate; and
	Be a status update on year one on progress across the strategy supported by appropriate evidence.
	There are no terms of reference for the review beyond those established above and in on going discussions with partners across Government. The terms of reference for future years will be agreed on an annual basis.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Jonathan Lord: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what meetings the Minister of State for Immigration has had with interested parties on the operation of tier 4 visa students.

Damian Green: I have regular meetings with a wide range of interested parties about the policy and operation of tier 4 visas. Over the last six months, these include meetings with various governmental and parliamentary colleagues, as well as with Universities UK, the Association of Colleges (AoC), The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA), the Hansard Society, Professor Edward Acton, Lord Boswell, the All Party Parliamentary University Group, Sir James Dyson, Sir Andrew Likierman and Migration Watch.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Jonathan Lord: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what separate arrangements apply to colleges and schools which have been designated as highly trusted sponsors rating for tier 4 visas which do not apply to colleges and schools which have not been so designated; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: As set out in the Statement of Intent, published on 31 March 2011, all educational institutions must obtain both Highly Trusted Status (HTS) by April 2012 and a current and satisfactory full inspection or audit by one of the eight listed bodies or their equivalents in the devolved Administrations by December 2012 in order to sponsor new international students. As a transitional measure, all sponsors that do not meet new educational oversight requirements and/or do not have Highly Trusted Sponsor status from 21 April 2011 are subject to a limit on the number of Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) they can issue to international students.

Frontex: Greece

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assistance the UK has provided to Frontex operations in Greece in the last three years.

Damian Green: The information is as follows:
	In 2010, the UK participated in:
	Joint Operation Poseidon Land, which targets illegal migration on the land borders from Turkey to Greece; by deploying a debriefing expert with an interpreter for two months.
	Joint Operation Poseidon Sea, which targets irregular migration by sea from Turkey to Greece; by deploying a debriefing expert with an interpreter for one month.
	Pilot Project Attica, to increase the Greek authorities capabilities to return third country nationals with no right of stay in the EU; by deploying a returns liaison expert to Pilot Project Attica for two weeks.
	In 2009, the UK participated in:
	Joint Operation Poseidon, which targets illegal and irregular migration by land and sea from Turkey to Greece; by deploying a debriefing expert with an interpreter for 10 months.
	In 2008, the UK participated in:
	Joint Operation Poseidon, which targets illegal and irregular migration by land and sea from Turkey to Greece; by deploying an intelligence expert for one month, a detection technology expert for one month and a debriefing expert with an interpreter for one month.

G4S

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many contracts her Department holds with G4S; and what the (a) purpose and (b) monetary value is of each such contract.

Damian Green: The Home Department, inclusive of its Executive Agencies, holds the following seven contracts with G4S:
	
		
			 (a) Purpose (b) Contract value (£ million) Contract length (years) 
			 Transporting of asylum claimants and related services 16.4 5 
			 Provision of temporary accommodation for Immigrants prior to removal—UKBA 81.4 8 
			 Provision of temporary accommodation for Immigrants prior to removal—UKBA 38.2 8 
			 Provision of temporary accommodation for Immigrants prior to removal—UKBA 29.09 8 
			 Access administration system for Criminal Records Bureau 0.002 1 
			 Access administration system for the Identity and Passport Service 0.34 10 
			 Collection and secure transportation of high risk high value goods 1.2 4

Harassment

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of notice of harassment letters issued by police forces.

James Brokenshire: No assessment of the effectiveness of prevention of harassment letters issued by police forces has been made by the Home Office. However, tackling violence against women and girls, which includes stalking and harassment, is a key priority for the Government. The Home Office and Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) held the first joint National Stalking Conference in December 2010 to promote the sharing of best practice between the police and the Crown Prosecution Service. We have also committed to review the impact of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 and we continue to fund the National Stalking Helpline and lead a monthly National Stalking Strategy Group to support the quarterly ACPO Stalking Working Group. We also strongly supported the recent National Stalking Awareness Week held from 11 April which was jointly organised by the three main charities that work to prevent stalking, Protection Against Stalking, the Suzy Lamplugh Trust and Network for Surviving Stalking.

Human Trafficking

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions the inter-ministerial group on human trafficking has met since 6 May 2010; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: The Government recognises the importance of monitoring the progress of anti-trafficking efforts in the UK and our international obligations.
	The inter-departmental ministerial group on trafficking met in February 2011 and will meet twice a year. An officials group will also meet twice a year. Discussions at the group will reflect ongoing developments in trafficking policy.

Human Trafficking

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people who have been identified as victims of trafficking have been deported from the UK in each of the last five years.

Damian Green: Since April 2009 the UK has had in place a multi-agency framework for identifying and protecting victims of trafficking—the National Referral Mechanism (NRM).
	There is currently no record of any enforced return of individuals conclusively found to be victims of trafficking under the NRM. However, being a victim does not automatically entitle someone to remain in the UK indefinitely. Where a recognised victim of trafficking does not meet established criteria the expectation must be that they return to their own country. In all cases voluntary departure is the preferred option and repatriation would only be enforced where it was deemed safe and appropriate to do so in accordance with the UK's domestic and international obligations.

Human Trafficking

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the merits of establishing an independent rapporteur on human trafficking; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: The UK is already compliant with this measure through equivalent mechanisms in the form of the UK Human Trafficking Centre as the central repository for data and the inter-departmental ministerial group for oversight.
	As I made clear in the House of Commons debate on the EU Directive on human trafficking on 9 May 2011, Official Report, column 978, the Government recognises that there are concerns that the function should be carried out by an independent body, and will keep these arguments under consideration.

Human Trafficking: Children

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the merits of establishing a system of guardianship for children identified as victims of human trafficking; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: Combating child trafficking and ensuring the protection and safeguarding of victims of this crime is a key priority for this Government. We have therefore considered the introduction of a system of guardianship but believe that the current system is appropriate and that corporate responsibility for child trafficking victims should remain with the relevant local authority.
	Under Section 11 of the Children Act local authorities have a statutory duty to ensure that they safeguard and promote the welfare of all children regardless of their immigration status or nationality. Under these arrangements, looked after children are provided with access to the services necessary to meet all their needs be they in relation to education, accommodation, psychological or health needs. In addition to a social worker who will set a care plan for each child and independent reviewing officer—a looked after child will also have access to an independent advocate.
	We believe that this responsibility should remain with the local authorities and that the addition a further ‘guardian’ to this framework risks adding another level of unhelpful complexity to existing arrangements.

Human Trafficking: Children in Care

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she has considered the merits of requiring local authorities to publish figures for (a) the number of trafficked children they have in their care and (b) how long they remain in their care.

Damian Green: Local authorities are required to record the numbers of looked after children within their area. These figures are sent to the Department for Education annually for publication. These national figures do not include the detail of those children who may have been trafficked although local authorities have processes in place to identify the numbers of trafficked children within their area.
	While the Government does not require individual local authorities to publish this detailed information locally at a national level we are building up our intelligence on numbers of trafficked children through the National Referral Mechanism, the work of the UK Human Trafficking Centre and the Child Exploitation and Online Protections Centre's yearly strategic threat assessments.
	The forthcoming Human Trafficking strategy will include a range of measures aimed at strengthening our ability to combat child trafficking and support those who have been trafficked.

Immigrants: Offenders

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were granted indefinite leave to remain under the terms of paragraph 289A of the Immigration Rules in each year since 2005; and how many such people were identified as having a criminal record at the time indefinite leave to remain was granted in each such year.

Damian Green: Figures from official statistics, obtained from the report ‘Control of Immigration Statistics United Kingdom 2009’ (published 26 August 2010) provide information for the period 2006-09 only.
	The following table shows the most recent published data for applicants granted settlement due to domestic violence after having leave to remain granted as a spouse or partner of a person present and settled in the United Kingdom.
	
		
			 P  ersons granted settlement due to domestic violence after leave to remain granted as a spouse/partner of a person present and settled in the UK 
			  Number 
			 2006 305 
			 2007 275 
			 2008 645 
			 2009 745 
			 Note: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/immigration-asylum-research/hosb1510/hosb1510?view=Binary 
		
	
	Unfortunately it is not possible to obtain statistical data to identify how many of the applicants who were granted indefinite leave to remain between 2005 and 2011 had a criminal record at the time when indefinite leave to remain (ILR was) granted.

Immigrants: Offenders

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people who applied for indefinite leave to remain under the terms of paragraph 289A of the Immigration Rules had their application rejected because they had a criminal record in each year since 2005.

Damian Green: It is not possible to obtain statistical data to identify how many people who applied for indefinite leave to remain under paragraph 289A of the Immigration rules had their application rejected because they had a criminal record.

Immigration

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many officials in her Department dealt with immigration cases in each of the last 10 years; what the average caseload for each immigration officer was in each of those years; and what the average time taken to process a case was in each of those years.

Damian Green: A complete response to this question is not possible as much of the required information is not readily available or held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Therefore, the response is limited to information about UK Border Agency staff numbers (employed by the Home Office immigration and Nationality Directorate until 31 March 2007; and the Border and Immigration Agency until 31 March 2008); applications and cases; and service standards.
	The following table provides details of agency staff numbers from 2003 to 2011. For 2007 onwards, the table splits staff between front line and corporate services. Front line staff deal with immigration cases overseas (visas); at the border (arriving passengers); and in the UK (permission to stay). This distinction cannot be made for the period before 2007.
	
		
			 Number 
			  As at March 
			  2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 
			 Frontline — — — — 16,423 16,114 22,758 22,822 21,080 
			 Corporate services — — — — 2,414 2,041 1,732 1,645 1,501 
			 Total 12,440 14,891 16,869 17,203 18,838 18,154 24,490 24,467 22,580 
			 Note:  The increase between 2008-09 is the result of HMRC detection staff joining the UK Border Agency. 
		
	
	In the period 2005-06 to 2010-11 agency staff decided an average of around 2.5 million visa cases per year. Figures are not available before this date.
	Data about the number of passenger arrivals for the period 2001 to 2010 are available from the Office for National Statistics (International Passenger Survey). Over 100 million passengers travel to the UK each year, of which approximately 12.3 million are non-EU/EEA nationals. These cases are subject to control and are therefore, interviewed and formally granted permission to enter by agency staff.
	Data for the number of “in-country” cases is available from 2007. The Home Office publishes statistics on asylum and settlement cases, including extensions of stay and citizenship cases, on a quarterly and annual basis, which are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office's Research, Development and Statistics website. The most recent available data are as follows:
	
		
			 Applications 
			  Number 
			 2007 708,710 
			 2008 733,220 
			 2009 823,635 
		
	
	Information on the average time taken to process a decision is not available. From July 2011, the agency will publish information on the percentage of migration applications decided within published standards. This will be published in the agency's annual report and accounts and quarterly updates will be available on the Home Office and No.10 websites.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton of 18 April 2011 with regard to Mrs S. Shafique.

Damian Green: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 9 June 2011.

Serco

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many contracts her Department holds with Serco; and what the (a) purpose and (b) monetary value is of each such contract.

Damian Green: The Home Department, inclusive of its executive agencies, holds the following five contracts with Serco:
	
		
			 (a) Purpose Contract length (b) Contract value (£ million) 
			 Provision of scanning and detection services at UK Borders 11 years, 6 months 135 
			 Provision of temporary accommodation in Colnbrook for immigrants prior to removal—UKBA 10 years 188 
			 Provision of temporary accommodation in Yarl's Wood for immigrants prior to removal—UKBA 8 years 99 
			 Provide and maintain confidential IT network(1) 10 years 70 
		
	
	
		
			 System interface to capture passenger data from airlines and house the National Border Targeting Centre building and facilities(2) 2 years 28.9 
			 (1) In response to parliamentary question 53136 a figure of £28 million was provided. This was based on a review of a contract extension and should have covered the whole life contract which is now presented. (2) In response to parliamentary question 53136 a figure of £42 million was provided. Negotiations have resulted in a lower contract.

Shoplifting

Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the effects of shoplifting on retail stores; and what steps she is taking to reduce levels of shoplifting.

James Brokenshire: The latest police recorded crime figures, in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin “Crime in England and Wales 2009/10”, show that there were 306,602 shoplifting offences in the 12 months to December 2010. This is a 3% reduction on the 316,297 offences in the 12 months to December 2009. The British Retail Consortium's Annual Crime Survey 2010 estimated the cost to the industry from all retail crime at £1.1 billion per annum.
	The Home Office co-chairs the National Retail Crime Steering Group, the national partnership to tackle retail crime. Tackling shoplifting forms one aspect of the work plan and work is under way on a number of strands to tackle shoplifting, including more effective design, crime prevention, enforcement, and strengthening partnership working between businesses, law enforcement agencies and the voluntary sector.

Victim Support Schemes

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her Department provides any funds for schemes to support victims and witnesses of crime which exclude victims of domestic violence.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office has not excluded services for victims of domestic violence from funding streams. As well as the stable four-year funding for independent domestic violence advisers (IDVAs) and Multi-agency Risk Assessment (MARAC) posts, Home Office funding has also been made available to support victims of crime and antisocial behaviour (ASB), including victims of sexual violence and serious youth violence.

Animal Welfare: Circuses

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she has met the Prime Minister to discuss a prohibition on the use of wild animals in circuses.

James Paice: The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Meriden (Mrs Spelman), meets the Prime Minister from time to time on various issues relating to her Department.

Beer: Industry

Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to support micro-breweries.

James Paice: The Government are committed to working with the food and drink industry, to help it take full advantage of the potential for growth through overseas trade, including by identifying global market opportunities and tackling barriers to exports. DEFRA has met with the Brewing, Food and Beverage Industry Suppliers Association (BFBi) to discuss the extent to which micro-breweries might be able to take advantage of this potential.
	Micro breweries already qualify for small brewers relief, which provides up to 50% relief on beer duty payable, will now also benefit from the Government's moratorium to exempt small firms with fewer than 10 employees from domestic regulation announced in this Budget. The Government's aim is to ensure that, as far as possible, micro businesses should be subject to no new domestic regulation after 1 April 2011.
	Micro breweries are also likely to benefit from the-Government's support for employment generally and manufacturing in particular, through the introducing of more predictable and lower corporate taxes; cutting through the unnecessary red tape and regulation; increasing access to finance; and focusing on training and apprenticeships to ensure specialist skills are in good supply.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Amber Rudd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many instances of bovine tuberculosis were reported in East Sussex in each of the last five years.

James Paice: Incidents of bovine TB reported for East Sussex in each of the last five years are as follows:
	
		
			 N  ew TB incidents reported in the year 
			  Number  (1) 
			 2010 14 
			 2009 12 
			 2008 11 
			 2007 14 
			 2006 15 
			  
			 (1) 1 January to 31 December. Source: Vetnet—Animal Health Database (downloaded 8 June 2011)

Charitable Donations

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to encourage charitable giving by Ministers in her Department.

Richard Benyon: All Government Ministers have pledged to undertake a 'one day challenge' with a charity or community group of their choice. This is a clear and public commitment by Ministers to give their time to help others. The pledge aims to inspire others to consider how they might be able to support their communities to benefit themselves, as well as their chosen organisations.

Compost: Licensing

Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what requirements community groups, schools and small businesses wishing to register for an exemption from the requirement for a compost heap licence are required to fulfil.

Richard Benyon: The requirements for the registration of a waste operation that is exempt from the need for an environmental permit are set out in paragraph 6 of Schedule 2 to the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010 and transposes the requirements of the EU Waste Framework Directive. The system of registration of exempt waste operations has been in place since 1994. Any establishment or undertaking, which includes community groups, schools and businesses, must notify the Environment Agency of: their name and address; a description of the waste operation; and the place where the operation is being carried out (by post code or Ordnance Survey National Grid reference point).
	Registration of the exemption for 'aerobic composting and associated prior treatment' is free and is valid for three years.

Droughts: Agriculture

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what recent assessment she has made of the potential effect of levels of rainfall in the south and east of England on (a) crop production and (b) the prices of (i) grain and (ii) other crops;
	(2)  what estimate she has made of the effects on crop yields in the agricultural sector as a result of water shortages in the (a) south and (b) east of England.

James Paice: It has been the driest spring on record in south east and central southern England and the driest across England and Wales since 1990.
	While the dry spell is continuing to have a variety of effects on crops with some, particularly on light land, showing the effects of water stress, it remains too early to predict with any certainty what the eventual impact of this particular period of dry weather will be in terms of crop yields. Many factors will continue to combine to affect production and we are working closely with the industry to help farmers in managing and adapting to the changing circumstances.
	Ministers have taken a close and hands-on interest in the impacts of the dry spell. The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Meriden (Mrs Spelman), held a drought summit on 16 May with water companies, farming groups and environment agencies to make sure the country was prepared for drought conditions and to hear first-hand of the impacts being felt. At that summit she asked the Environment Agency to report on the likelihood of a drought in the longer term, and how it might affect our farmers, our food industry and consumers. The Environment Agency now produces weekly drought management bulletins and will report back to the Secretary of State later this month, assessing the likely impacts of prolonged dry weather including the plans in place to manage drought.
	The summit is scheduled to reconvene later this month but, in the interim, the Secretary of State has arranged a meeting of those who get their water from rivers to find immediate steps they can take to make that water go further—not just to deal with the current dry weather, but also to help inform longer term reliance issues for the future.
	Prices of agricultural commodities such as grains are determined on international agricultural markets. As such, any final impact on crop prices will be determined by global weather conditions and their impact on global production, rather than by the impact of drought on UK crop production.

E. coli: Germany

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with (a) ministerial colleagues and (b) her Department's agencies on measures to support the horticulture industry following the recent e-coli outbreak in Germany.

James Paice: holding answer 13 June 2011
	DEFRA officials are keeping in close contact with colleagues in the Department of Health, the Food Standards Agency and other Departments as the situation with regard to the E. coli outbreak develops. The outbreak has had a disruptive economic impact on growers and others within the supply chain for fruit and vegetables across the EU, including our domestic industry. Because of this, the Agriculture and Fisheries Council on 7 June discussed the need for exceptional measures to address the market situation and to provide financial support for growers affected. Proposals were discussed by Ministers at Council level and considered by officials at the EU Fruit and Vegetables Management Committee but no package has yet been agreed for implementation. Discussions will continue on 14 June.
	We are discussing with the Rural Payments Agency the implications of the proposed €210 million EU measures, and how a scheme would be implemented.

E. coli: Germany

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the financial effects on the horticulture industry of the recent e-coli outbreak in Germany.

James Paice: holding answer 13 June 2011
	The outbreak has had a disruptive economic impact on growers and others within the supply chain for fruit and vegetables across the EU, including our domestic industry.
	At retail level, prices for domestically produced salad (lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet peppers and courgettes), have remained relatively stable, although demand has declined, with the result that more produce is being sent to the wholesale market, which is experiencing movement in prices. I welcome the support for UK producers shown by the big retailers who have in some cases increased their offering of UK salad produce, in response to consumer demand for our home crop.
	One impact of the decision by the Russian Federation to impose a ban on EU fruit and vegetable produce is that surplus produce has been directed to alternative EU markets, including our own. The consequence has been to depress values in the wholesale market, with volumes down, although here again, I understand that prices for English produce are faring better than those for imported produce. But the situation continues to develop and the latest indications from our trade organisations are that the market remains depressed.
	The impacts of the overall situation are being felt across the EU and because of this, the Agriculture and Fisheries Council on 7 June discussed the need for exceptional measures to address the market situation and to provide financial support for growers affected. Proposals were discussed by Ministers at Council level and considered by officials at the EU Fruit and Vegetables Management Committee but no package has yet been agreed for implementation. Discussions will continue on 14 June.
	We are discussing the implications of the proposed €210 million EU measures with Government Departments, and with the key trade organisations and looking with the Rural Payments Agency how a scheme would be implemented.

E. coli: Germany

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effect on the agricultural sector of trade bans on fruit and vegetables by (a) other EU member states and (b) Russia following the recent e-coli outbreak in Germany.

James Paice: UK exports of fruit and vegetables are minimal, with most UK produce sold domestically. The direct impact of a third-country trade ban is therefore minimal. Other member states trade within the single market.
	The Russian ban on imports of EU fresh fruit and vegetables has caused market disruption with produce being directed to alternative EU markets, including our own. This has affected values in the wholesale market, but prices for English produce are reported to have fared better than those for imported produce. The market situation continues to develop and the most recent indications from trade organisations point to the market remaining depressed.

Environmental Stewardship Scheme

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which activities will qualify for higher level stewardship payments in years (a) 2011-12, (b) 2012-13 and (c) 2013-14; and if she will make a statement.

James Paice: Higher level stewardship (HLS) will continue to be a discretionary multi-objective scheme targeted at areas that have the potential to deliver high priority environmental benefits. The activities that can be funded by HLS are set out in the scheme handbook. Total spending on HLS will increase by at least 80% over the next three years, and the Department is working to make schemes more effective and better targeted so that farmers can continue to deliver the greatest possible benefits for biodiversity and the natural environment.
	Agreements will continue to be selected that meet primary scheme objectives to conserve wildlife, maintain and enhance landscape quality and character, protect the historic environment and natural resources (including water quality and soil), and to promote public access and understanding of the countryside (through educational visits to farms for school children up to age 16 and care farming activities for vulnerable groups of people). HLS will also continue to have secondary objectives for genetic conservation and flood management, which will support adaptation of the natural environment to climate change, and help mitigate its effects.

Forests

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much the Forestry Commission has allocated for the acquisition of forestry land in each of the next four financial years.

James Paice: The independent panel on forestry will be advising the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Meriden (Mrs Spelman), on the role of the public forest estate in England. The Government look forward to receiving the panel's advice which will inform our future approach to the acquisition of forestry land. No specific resources have been allocated for the acquisition of forestry land in 2011-12 but, should a suitable opportunity arise, the Forestry Commission could consider reallocation of any available funds.

Nature Conservation

Nicky Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what recent discussions she has had with representatives of Natural England on its role in promoting standards of professional conduct among ecological consultants and habitat surveyors; and whether she has assessed the merits of establishing a regulatory body to oversee the work of consultants providing biological information services;
	(2)  what steps her Department is taking to ensure (a) ecological consultants and (b) environmental managers adhere to a code of professional conduct.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA has had no recent discussions with Natural England on this. Standards for this type of work are currently a matter for the professional bodies and associations. Both DEFRA and Natural England support their efforts to promote standards through codes of conduct and the use of independently produced standards such as the British Standards Institution Publicly Available Specification on planning and biodiversity. We have no plans to regulate.
	We believe it is up to those who use ecological consultants and environmental managers to assess their competence. We would hope they would see experience, qualifications and, where appropriate, membership of a professional body promoting robust standards of professional conduct, as being important indicators of competence.

Pesticides: Food

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 27 April 2011, Official Report, column 414W, on pesticides, when the staffing levels and funding for the monitoring of pesticides in the food chain in each of the next four years will be finalised.

James Paice: Spending plans for pesticides monitoring are confirmed at the start of each financial year. The budget for 2011-12 has been set at £1.9 million for the monitoring of pesticides with staff resources of 3.5 full-time equivalent staff.

Pets: Cremation

Jessica Lee: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations she has received on regulation of the pet cremation industry; and if she will consider the merits of reviewing the regulation of that industry with a view to improving its effectiveness.

James Paice: We have not received any representations on the regulation of pet crematoria under current arrangements which have been recently revised. We would consider reviewing the regulation of that industry in light of experience of operation under the recent revisions to the EU Waste Framework Directive (2008/98/EC) which excluded animal carcases from the controls of the revised Directive where they are disposed of in accordance with the EU Animal By-Products Regulation ((EC) No 1069/2009).

Cycling: Training

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what funding for Bikeability cycle training his Department (a) provided in 2010-11 and (b) has made budgetary provision for in (i) 2011-12, (ii) 2012-13, (iii) 2013-14 and (iv) 2014-15.

Norman Baker: In 2010-11 the Department for Transport made available £11 million in grant funding to local authorities and School Sports Partnerships to deliver level 2 Bikeability cycle training to children. For 2011-12 £11 million has been made available. The Government will continue to support Bikeability in 2012-13 to 2014-15. Total grant allocations for those years will be announced in due course.

Driving Tests: Workington

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reasons it is proposed to close the driving test centre in Workington.

Michael Penning: The driving theory test centre in Workington has the capacity to deliver over 15,000 tests a year. In 2010-11, just over 3,000 theory tests were conducted. As the theory test centres in Carlisle and Barrow in Furness have spare capacity it is not cost effective to keep the Workington centre open. It is scheduled to close on 31 August 2011.
	The delivery of practical driving tests remains unaffected.

East Coast Railway Line: Contracts

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what meetings he has had with (a) trade union representatives and (b) hon. Members at which East Coast Main Line's decision to award the East Coast Main Line customer contact centre contract to Intelenet and Atos Origin was discussed.

Norman Baker: holding answer 10 June 2011
	DfT Ministers have not held any meetings with either trade union representatives or hon. Members to discuss this decision. However, the matter was discussed on the floor of the House on 19 May 2011, Official Report, columns 602-10, at the adjournment debate secured by the hon. Member.

Exhaust Emissions: Olympic Games 2012

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he plans to take to respond to the findings of the Olympic Delivery Authority in respect of likely air quality in London during the London 2012 Olympics.

Theresa Villiers: The Government are committed to working towards EU air quality standards. While it is for the Mayor of London to decide what local transport policies are appropriate in London, the Department for Transport has recently made an extra £5 million available to help tackle some of London's worst pollution hotspots.
	Our ambition is for a public transport Games with 100% of spectators travelling to London venues by public transport, cycling or on foot (with a very limited exception for disabled spectators). To help achieve this, ticketed spectators for London events will receive a Games Travelcard for London's public transport system on that day. There will be no private car parking for spectators at any venue, except for limited Blue Badge parking.
	Transport for London are working with businesses to consider alternative ways of working and travelling, including home and flexible working, travelling into work at different times and encouraging their staff to walk or cycle into work. These and other measures should help reduce traffic levels and vehicle emissions, minimising the risk of exceeding air quality levels across London.

Great Western Railway Line: Electrification

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department undertook on the cost of (a) hybrid and (b) electric trains in determining the method of electrification of the Great Western Main Line.

Theresa Villiers: The choice of the method of electrification was determined by Network Rail and was not dependent on an assessment of the relative costs of different passenger train types.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether HS2 Ltd will be required to mitigate any impact of railway building on sites of biological importance in (a) Staffordshire and (b) England.

Philip Hammond: The proposed route is subject to the outcome of the consultation exercise. Should Government decide to proceed with high speed rail an environmental impact assessment (EIA) will be prepared to accompany a Hybrid Bill. The preparation of the EIA will be undertaken with input from Natural England, Environment Agency and others and would be subject to a formal consultation process. Results of that assessment would help inform any requirements for mitigation.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the effect on wildlife populations of construction of High Speed 2.

Philip Hammond: The Appraisal of Sustainability outlines how the preferred route has managed to avoid most potential impacts on designated habitats and sites. No sites of international significance would be adversely affected and impacts to nationally protected sites would be restricted to just a few locations. Should Government decide to proceed with high speed rail an environmental impact assessment (EIA) will be prepared to accompany a Hybrid Bill. It is at this stage that detailed assessments would be made regarding wildlife populations. Results of the assessment and proposed mitigation would be consulted upon before the Hybrid Bill goes before Parliament.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department has estimated the proportion of the High Speed 2 route which will render agricultural land unusable.

Philip Hammond: The HS2 London to the West Midlands Appraisal of Sustainability, which was published on 28 February as part of the consultation on high speed rail, estimates that no Grade 1 agricultural land would be affected in order to construct a new high speed line between London and the West Midlands, and that the proposed route would pass across Grade 2 land for some 20 km. At this stage Government have not appraised the impact on lower grade agricultural land.
	The impact on Best and Most Versatile Land (land at Grades 1, 2 and 3a) would be considered in more detail in the next stage of the project as part of an environmental impact assessment.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will bring forward proposals to provide for compensation to sports facilities rendered unusable as a result of the construction of High Speed 2.

Philip Hammond: Details of the statutory provisions on blight and compensation that would apply to residential and business properties for any new high speed line, and a range of options for possible additional discretionary arrangements to help those whose properties would not be compulsorily purchased in order to build a new line, but who may still experience a significant loss in the value of their property as a result of it, are set out in Annex A of the Government's consultation document, ‘High Speed Rail: Investing in Britain's Future’, available at:
	http://highspeedrail.dft.gov.uk/library/documents/consultation-document
	Following the current consultation, decisions will be taken on the high speed rail proposals, including any discretionary arrangements for compensation. This is expected to be before the end of 2011.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what types of (a) agricultural land and (b) livestock currently using land that will be rendered unusable by the High Speed 2 route.

Philip Hammond: The HS2 London to the West Midlands Appraisal of Sustainability, which was published oh 28 February as part of the consultation on high speed rail, estimates that no Grade 1 agricultural land would be affected in order to construct a new high speed line between London and the West Midlands, and that the proposed route would pass across Grade 2 land for some 20 km. At this stage Government have not appraised the impact on lower grade agricultural land.
	The impact on Best and Most Versatile Land (land at Grades 1, 2 and 3a) would be considered in more detail in the next stage of the project as part of an Environmental Impact Assessment.
	We have not made an estimate of current usage of any of this land for livestock grazing.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many homeowners compensated by the HS2 Exceptional Hardship scheme are renting back their property.

Philip Hammond: The Government have purchased one property under the Exceptional Hardship scheme which has subsequently been rented by the previous owner.
	It should be made clear, however, that this is not a specific feature offered by the scheme. The operation of the scheme is designed in such a way that the Government takes the place of the buyer as in a private sale. Applicants who accept an offer for their property from the Government are expected to vacate the property on or before the agreed purchase completion date, as with any normal house sale.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether communities where all property values are adversely affected by proximity to the proposed High Speed 2 line will be eligible to apply for all properties to be considered for potential compensation under the HS2 Exceptional Hardship scheme.

Philip Hammond: The Exceptional Hardship scheme is available to anyone who fulfils the five scheme criteria, which are set out in the EHS guidance available at:
	http://www.hs2.org.uk/exceptional-hardship-scheme?pageid=1

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what distance criteria from the proposed High Speed 2 route are used to evaluate properties for compensation under the HS2 Exceptional Hardship scheme.

Philip Hammond: The Exceptional Hardship scheme guidance sets out the criteria for the scheme, including that of property location and is available at:
	http://www.hs2.org.uk/exceptional-hardship-scheme?paqeid=1

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what method is used to ensure that those granted compensation under the HS2 Exceptional Hardship scheme are offered a pre-blight rather than a post-blight value for their home.

Philip Hammond: The Exceptional Hardship scheme guidance sets out how property valuations are made under the scheme and is available at:
	http://www.hs2.org.uk/exceptional-hardship-scheme?pageid=1

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he expects to bring forward legislative proposals to establish a compensation scheme for HS2 as part of the Bill to make provision for the line.

Philip Hammond: Existing legislation already includes statutory provision for blight and compensation. No decisions have yet been taken on additional discretionary blight arrangements, but details of a range of possible options to help those whose properties would not be compulsorily purchased in order to build a new line, but who may still experience a significant loss in the value of their property as a result of it, are set out in Annex A of the Government's consultation document, “High Speed Rail: Investing in Britain's Future”, available at:
	http://highspeedrail.dft.gov.uk/library/documents/consultation-document
	Until a decision is taken on the form of any such arrangements it is not known whether additional legislation would be required.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the names are of the members of the HS2 Exceptional Hardship Scheme panel; and what the professional (a) background and (b) qualifications are of each member.

Philip Hammond: The details of all panel members can be found at:
	http://www.hs2.org.uk/exceptional-hardship-scheme/EHS-Panel-Members-66193

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate has been made of the number of domestic properties located within (a) 50, (b) 100, (c) 200, (d) 300 and (e) 500 metres of an entrance to or an exit from a proposed HS2 line tunnel.

Philip Hammond: The Appraisal of Sustainability, available at:
	http://highspeedrail.dft.gov.uk/library/documents/appraisal-sustainability
	contains information about the number of domestic properties that would potentially be affected by the proposed route; however such estimates have not been made with specific reference to the distance from tunnel portals on the proposed route.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for the future use of homes purchased under the HS2 Exceptional Hardship Scheme.

Philip Hammond: In the short term, properties purchased by the Government under the Exceptional Hardship Scheme are rented out as soon as possible.
	Decisions on the longer term use of these properties will be taken once a decision on whether or not to go ahead with the proposed HS2 route has been taken, and once it becomes clear precisely what land would be required to construct any new line.

Motorways: Accidents

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reason over 14 miles of the northbound carriageway of the M1 motorway was closed on 26 May 2011; what his policy is on the closure of motorways as a last resort after accidents; and if he will consider issuing guidance to highway authorities in this respect.

Michael Penning: The Highways Agency is the highway authority for motorways in England including the M1. It was closed by the police between Junction 16 and Junction 17 at 14:10 hours on 26 May due to a multiple vehicle collision which involved a fatality.
	The Traffic Management Act 2004 and National and Incident Management Guidance Frameworks set out the policy framework and principles under which the Highways Agency, in partnership with the police, manage incidents on motorways. These frameworks direct those responsible to conduct their incident management activities in ways that prevent the unnecessary closure of roads following an incident. Roads are only closed when critical infrastructure repairs cannot be performed while part of the carriageway remains open and/or when an incident has resulted in serious injury or a fatality where the police have a duty to conduct a thorough investigation in accordance with their Road Death Investigation manual.
	On 19 May 2011, Official Report, columns 39-40WS, I announced that the Department for Transport has completed a review into what improvements could be made to achieve the shortest timeline possible for managing incidents where a motorway closure is required. The review makes 10 recommendations, the delivery of which will ensure that there is overall improvement in the time taken to reopen motorways following an incident, reducing the economic impact of closures and minimising the delay experienced by road users. Local highway authorities will also be able to adopt the good practice identified in the review.

Motorways: Accidents

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reason the northbound carriageway of the M1 motorway was closed near Watford Gap on 26 May 2011; on whose authority the road was closed; and what steps were taken to reduce inconvenience to motorists as a result of the closure.

Michael Penning: The M1 motorway was closed between Junction 16 and Junction 17 at 2.10 pm hours on 26 May due to a multiple vehicle collision. The incident resulted in a fatality which meant it was led by Northamptonshire police who had to perform an investigation in accordance with their Road Death Investigation Manual. This required the northbound carriageway to be sterile of traffic so the police closed the motorway.
	Steps taken to reduce the inconvenience to the motorist were to use agreed emergency diversion routes and to turn around traffic that had been caught between Watford Gap and the incident. Variable Message signs were set to warn of the closure and local media were informed of the closure and diversion routes.

Motorways: Accidents

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reason the A1(M) was closed north of its junction with the A1000 on 26 May 2011; on whose authority the road was closed; and what guidance he has issued to highway authorities on (a) steps to minimise delays from such incidents to road users and (b) closure of a road only as a last resort.

Michael Penning: The A1(M) north of its junction with the A1000 was not fully closed on 26 May. Lanes 2 and 3 were blocked due to an incident where a car collided with the central reservation. The police were the first in attendance and set out the lane closures which were then backed up by the Highways Agency traffic officers when they arrived on scene.
	(a) On 19 May 2011, Official Report, columns 39-40WS, I announced that the Department for Transport has completed a review into what improvements could be made to achieve the shortest timeline possible or managing incidents where a motorway closure is required. The review makes 10 recommendations, the delivery of which will ensure that there is overall improvement in the time taken to re-open motorways following an incident, reducing the economic impact of closures and minimising the delay experienced by road users. Local highway authorities will also be able to adopt the good practice identified in the review.
	(b) The Traffic Management Act 2004 and National and Incident Management Guidance Frameworks set out the policy framework and principles under which the Highways Agency, in partnership with the police, manage incidents on motorways. These frameworks direct those responsible to conduct their incident management activities in ways that prevent the unnecessary closure of roads following an incident. Roads are only closed when critical infrastructure repairs cannot be performed while part of the carriageway remains open and/or when an incident has resulted in serious injury or a fatality where the police have a duty to conduct a thorough investigation in accordance with their Road Death Investigation manual.

Rail Delivery Group

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the name is of each (a) member of and (b) organisations represented on the Rail Delivery Group.

Theresa Villiers: holding answer 13 June 2011
	The Rail Delivery Group is an independent industry body made up of the most senior figures in the rail industry—including the chief executives of the passenger and freight train operating owning groups and Network Rail. It will be chaired by Tim O’Toole, the chief executive of FirstGroup. A press release announcing the formation of the Group can be found on the Network Rail website.
	Decisions on the remit and composition of the Group are for industry determination, but we support all efforts by the industry to deliver improved efficiency and value for money, responding to Sir Roy McNulty's report on value for money in the Rail Industry.

Rail Delivery Group

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 13 December 2010, Official Report, column 517W, on railways, when he plans to announce the members of the high level working group to examine options for structural reform in the rail industry; and what representations he has received on membership of that group.

Theresa Villiers: holding answer 13 June 2011
	An announcement concerning the membership of the group will be made in due course. The Department for Transport has received representations from a number of groups and individuals regarding the group's composition. The Department's business plan commits it to making a statement on the future of the railway in November.

Railways: Construction

Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has any plans for (a) public consultation on and (b) primary legislation to authorise the construction of high speed rail projects other than HS2.

Philip Hammond: Our current plans are limited to the HS2 project for a High Speed line from London to Birmingham and onward to Leeds and Manchester, with a spur to Heathrow airport.

Railways: Passengers

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many rail passengers used (a) category D and (b) category E train stations in each of the last five years. [R]

Theresa Villiers: Station usage data for the five years between 2005/06 and 2009/10 is published on the Office of Rail Regulation's website at:
	www.rail-reg.gov.uk/server/show/nav.1529
	Information about station categories is available as an appendix in the Network Rail Annual Return 2010, which is available on Network Rail's website at:
	www.networkrail.co.uk/epdf/default.aspx/annual-return-2010/

Road Traffic Act 1988

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many meetings his Department's working party on potential changes to section 172 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 has held in each year since 2006.

Michael Penning: The Department for Transport did not convene a working party about potential changes to section 172 of the Road Safety Act, although it is in the process of assembling a group.
	Previously an internal police group looked at the prosecution issues associated with the use of the section 172. It was necessary for the police to review how they operated and to consider any issues they wished to communicate to the Government.

Shipping: Armed Forces

Alun Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has assessed the merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to enable UK-based companies to employ armed personnel on commercial ships.

Michael Penning: Recognising the specific issue of increasing piracy attacks off the coast of Somalia, the Department for Transport, in line with recent work of the International Maritime Organisation, is considering amending the current policy to recognise that engaging armed personnel is an option for UK flagged ship owners to combat piracy. Cross-departmental consideration is covering a number of complex legal and operational issues which may or may not require legislative proposals.

Transport: Exhaust Emissions

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he plans to set targets for local transport authorities in respect of their contribution to carbon dioxide reduction.

Norman Baker: holding answer 13 June 2011
	Local authorities can contribute to carbon reduction in a variety of ways, and the Government are supporting schemes which promote growth and cut carbon, including through our £560 million Local Sustainable Transport Fund. The recently published White Paper, ‘Cutting Carbon, Creating Growth’, sets out our strategy for local transport. It is available here:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/regional/sustainabletransport/
	We have no plans however, to set carbon reduction targets for local transport authorities. It is for local authorities to set their own objectives in line with the needs of the local community.

Nigeria

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Nigerian Government since the recent elections in that country.

Henry Bellingham: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), wrote a joint letter with the Secretary of State for International Development to President Goodluck Jonathan on 9 June on a range of bilateral, international and development issues. The Prime Minister and I spoke to President Jonathan on 19 April and 29 May respectively.

China: Human Rights

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Chinese Government on human rights.

Jeremy Browne: During my recent visit to China (31 May to 3 June) I raised human rights concerns with Vice-Minister Fu Ying. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) and I raised the case of detained artist, Ai Weiwei, with Chinese Vice-Minister Fu Ying when she visited London on 12 May 2011.I wrote to the Chinese ambassador on 3 May raising my concerns about recent human rights developments in China, including the case of Ai Weiwei, the recent crackdown at the Tibetan Buddhist Kirti Monastery and arrests at the Shouwang Protestant Church in Beijing.

BBC World Service

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the timetable and scope are of his Department's review of the BBC World Service.

David Lidington: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) has asked Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials to work intensively to review the decision to reduce the budget of the BBC World Service, paying particular attention to the issues raised by the Foreign Affairs Committee. We expect the work to be completed by early July.

British Overseas Territories

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to visit British overseas territories in the next year.

Henry Bellingham: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), has no immediate plans to visit British overseas territories.
	Further to my answer of 17 March 2011, Official Report, column 649W, I remain keen to continue to visit overseas territories and plan to make further visits later this year, but it is not practice to announce these visits until they are confirmed.

British Overseas Territories: Environment Protection

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department has spent on the promotion of environmental awareness in British Overseas Territories in each of the last five years.

Henry Bellingham: Responsibility for environmental issues is devolved to the Governments of the Overseas Territories. However the British Government are aware of the challenges the Overseas Territories face in their responsibility to preserve their environmental assets, and we work alongside Overseas Territories Governments to provide support and assistance in areas where they need help.
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has, for the past five years, contributed half of the annual £1 million funding to the joint FCO-Department For International Development Overseas Territories Environment Programme, which delivers projects covering a range of environmental issues across the Overseas Territories. Raising awareness of environmental issues is often an inevitable outcome of these projects but is not a separately funded budget line within them: therefore, exact sums cannot be enumerated.
	FCO officials additionally work closely with a wide range of non-governmental organisations and other interested parties, as well as across Whitehall, to further environmental protection and sustainable development in the Overseas Territories.

British Overseas Territories: Environment Protection

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department has taken to promote environmental awareness in British Overseas Territories.

Henry Bellingham: Responsibility for environmental issues is devolved to the Governments of the Overseas Territories. However the British Government are aware of the challenges the Overseas Territories face in their responsibility to preserve their environmental assets, and we work alongside Overseas Territories Governments to provide support and assistance in areas where they need help.
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) works very closely with other Government Departments, in particular the Department for International Development and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), to support environmental issues, including biodiversity protection, nature conservation, recycling, sustainable energy and climate change adaptation, across the Overseas Territories. This includes considerable input from the staff of the Governors' Offices in the Territories, the provision of dedicated funding, and involvement in the Overseas Territories Biodiversity Group, led by DEFRA and implementing the Overseas Territories Biodiversity Strategy.
	In addition the FCO liaises closely with non-government organisations and other interested parties, encouraging and supporting their involvement in environmental issues in the Overseas Territories.

British Overseas Territories: Politics and Government

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department has taken to promote good governance in British Overseas Territories.

Henry Bellingham: We work closely with the Governments of the British Overseas Territories to ensure the right controls are in place to support good governance and sound management of public finances. I have reinforced these messages during visits to Anguilla and the Turks and Caicos Islands, at the Overseas Territories Consultative Council in November and during bilateral meetings with Overseas Territories' Leaders. We are determined that the situation we have found in the Turks and Caicos Islands is not repeated, there or elsewhere.
	The key aim of the constitutional and electoral reform process in the Turks and Caicos Islands is to prepare a new constitution to support good governance in the Territory. We have agreed a new constitution with Montserrat, which the Governor hopes to bring into force in September 2011 which includes an updated catalogue of fundamental human rights and freedoms, and provisions to: regulate and raise public finance; establish a Complaints Commission; and ensure high standards in public life. Constitutions agreed with other Territories over that past few years have also been intended to support good governance in these Territories.
	We are discussing frameworks for fiscal responsibility with the Cayman Islands, Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands, in order to help these Territories manage their finances better.
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has also funded a number of good governance projects in the Territories.

British Overseas Territories: Sustainable Development

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with officials from British overseas territories on environmental sustainability.

Henry Bellingham: Responsibility for environmental issues is devolved to the governments of the overseas territories. However the British Government are aware of the challenges the overseas territories face in their responsibility to preserve their environmental assets, and we work alongside overseas territories governments to provide support and assistance in areas where they need help.
	I led a discussion on environmental issues at the annual Overseas Territories Consultative Council, to which the leaders and premiers of all the overseas territories were invited, in November last year. In addition, Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials have frequent discussions with their counterparts in the overseas territories on this issue.

Central America

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to visit Central America in the next year.

Jeremy Browne: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the right hon. Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), has not finalised his travel plans for the next year.
	I visited Guatemala and Panama in November and will return to the region this year, as part of the Government's re-engagement with Latin America. The re-opening of our embassy in El Salvador is another important part of this process.

Clara Gutteridge

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information the High Commission in Kenya holds on the deportation from Kenya of Clara Gutteridge; what representations his Department has made to the government of Kenya on the matter; and if he will make a statement.

Henry Bellingham: Our High Commission is aware of the deportation of Clara Gutteridge. At the request of her employer, and in advance of her visit, the British High Commission in Nairobi wrote to the Kenyan Ministry of Immigration requesting advice on her immigration status. The information we hold consists of this letter, a reply and the records of the consular assistance we subsequently provided to Ms Gutteridge.
	Our High Commission has raised the deportation with Government of Kenya but acknowledges that it is their right to deport Ms Gutteridge.

Departmental Pensions

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many employees of his Department at each grade have pension pots (a) currently valued and (b) projected to be valued on retirement at more than (i) £1 million and (ii) £1.5 million.

Henry Bellingham: Staff in the Principal Civil Service Pension scheme who are in the Classic, Classic Plus and Premium schemes do not have pension pots as such, as the schemes are not defined benefit schemes. Staff in the Nuvos scheme which started in July 2007 do, but the costs of providing this information would be disproportionate.

Henderson Island: Rodents

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps his Department has taken to combat the rat infestation on Henderson Island.

Henry Bellingham: Responsibility for environmental issues is devolved to the governments of the overseas territories. However the UK Government are aware of the challenges the overseas territories face in their responsibility to preserve their biodiversity, and we work alongside their governments to provide support and assistance in areas where they need help.
	On Henderson Island, the UK Government are working closely with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), the Pitcairn Government and others to eradicate rats and the RSPB have announced that they will be proceeding with a rat eradication programme this August. The UK Government have so far contributed over £400,000 towards this project. In addition to this, I co-hosted with the RSPB a reception last year in support of Henderson Island World Heritage Site.

Mauritania: Embassies

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will consider the merits of opening an embassy in Mauritania.

Alistair Burt: We have a strong network of embassies in North Africa which have been under considerable pressure in recent months. While we do not consider there is a need to establish new posts in the region, we have frequently and substantially reinforced our staffing in recent months. We have an honorary consul in Nouakchott and expect to re-open our political office in August to bolster existing work from Rabat. We will keep the need for additional deployments under review

North Africa: EU External Relations

Jo Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the contribution of the European Commission's European Neighbourhood Policy to the transition process in (a) Egypt and (b) Tunisia.

Alistair Burt: The European Neighbourhood Policy was launched in 2004 with the objective of promoting stability, security and well-being in the countries in the EU's Neighbourhood, including Egypt and Tunisia. European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument assistance for 2011-13 stood at €240 million for Tunisia and €449 million for Egypt before the revolutions. In recent months the EU has committed additional financial resources to support the transition process in Egypt and Tunisia.
	Discussions are continuing between the EU and the interim authorities in Egypt and Tunisia as to how these additional resources can be best used. In Tunisia, initial funding has been allocated for supporting elections; the work of the three commissions on political reform, human rights and corruption; and funding for civil society and judicial reform. For Egypt, the proposed package covers assistance to review laws relating to non-governmental organisations, media, association, political parties and the penal and criminal code; support for justice reform and review of the security system; support for elections and civil society; political capacity building; support for health and education reform; and vocational training.
	As the Prime Minister made clear in March, we believe the EU needs to make a real and credible offer to its neighbours. We believe the joint European Commission and External Action Service Communication of 25 May, reviewing the European Neighbourhood Policy, delivers that ambitious and far-reaching offer to the Neighbourhood, including through further opening of EU markets.

Omar al-Bashir

Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to support the execution of the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court against Omar al-Bashir.

Henry Bellingham: The United Kingdom is a strong supporter of the work that the International Criminal Court (ICC) has undertaken to investigate the most serious crimes of international concern that are alleged to have been committed in Darfur. Together with European Union partners, we regularly make clear that we expect all countries to fulfil their obligations, either as ICC States Parties or as United Nations members, to co-operate with this investigation including the enforcement of arrest warrants issued by the court. I most recently made this clear in a statement on 11 May, where I expressed my disappointment that President Bashir had been able to visit Djibouti in defiance of his ICC arrest warrants.

Sudan: Peace Negotiations

Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to support the All Darfur Stakeholders conference.

Henry Bellingham: I have regularly raised the UK's concerns about Darfur and the need for an early resolution to the conflict with Sudanese interlocutors, most recently with the Sudanese Foreign Minister on 6 June. The Secretary of State for International Development, my right hon. Friend the Member for Sutton Coldfield (Mr Mitchell) has made similar representations, including during his most recent visit to Sudan on 7-8 May. The UK has been in regular contact with the Darfur Joint Chief Mediator, Djibril Bassole, the Government of Sudan and the armed movements throughout the Doha talks. In the final stages of the Doha process UK officials have been continuously engaged in Doha and with our international partners to help shape a constructive outcome. At the All Darfur Stakeholders conference the UK was represented by UK's special representative for Sudan. We will work closely with our partners, including the United Nations and African Union, on follow up to the conference, including the next phase of the Darfur peace process.

Tunisia: Egypt

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what programmes of assistance the UK is offering to (a) Tunisia and (b) Egypt.

Alistair Burt: Following the announcement by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), of the Arab Partnership in February of this year, £1.15 million of the initial fund of £5 million has been allocated for projects in Tunisia and £1.2 million for Egypt. Additional funding will become available, following the expansion of the Arab Partnership funding to £110 million over four years.
	In Tunisia our programme focuses on three main themes:
	political participation;
	strengthening the rule of law, with a particular focus on tackling corruption; and
	employment opportunities, especially for young people.
	The embassy plans to work with a range of partners including the British Council, the BBC World Service Trust, Westminster Foundation for Democracy, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Thompson Foundation, and local civil society organisations.
	In Egypt, our embassy in Cairo is in close contact with government officials, the opposition and activists to identify the most useful interventions. They are making progress in developing programmes that address Egypt's political, economic and structural needs. These include:
	political participation;
	employment and education;
	investment and trade;
	civil society development;
	security sector reform; and
	tackling corruption and conflict of interest and constitutional reform.

Big Society Bank

Julian Huppert: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment he has made of the effects of funding from the big society bank on the operational viability of charities.

Nick Hurd: holding answer 13 June 2011
	The big society bank aims to boost the ability of civil society organisations, including charities, to deal with social issues. It will do this by supporting organisations that invest in civil society; helping them provide a greater range of financial services to charities; and helping them raise more money for onward investment into the sector.
	The financial intermediaries supported by the big society bank are expected to primarily support charities that generate enough revenue through their activities to repay the investment they receive. The additional financial provision facilitated by the big society bank is likely to include increased access to working capital for charities, which is an important contributor to operational viability.
	Increasing the financial options available to charities as well as the overall level of capital coming into the sector, should also mean that grant finance can go where it is most needed.
	The big society bank has not yet started operating so no assessment has yet been made of its actual impact on charities.

Charities Act 2006

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  what the (a) timetable and (b) process is for his Department's review of the Charities Act 2006;
	(2)  how charitable organisations can contribute to the review of the Charities Act 2006.

Nick Hurd: Section 73 of the Charities Act 2006 requires the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr Maude), to appoint a person before 8 November 2011, to undertake an independent review of the Charities Act 2006. The Act specifies some of the matters that must be considered in the review. The timetable for the review itself has not been finalised but the review is likely to take between six and nine months, concluding in 2012. Once completed, the report of the review must be laid before Parliament.
	It will be for the person appointed to undertake the review to determine how charities can best contribute to it but the terms of reference will ensure that there is a mechanism for charities to contribute.

Civil Service: Vacancies

George Howarth: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many civil service posts were (a) created and (b) lost (i) on Merseyside (ii) in each Government Department and (iii) in each constituency in each of the last six years.

Francis Maude: Information on the number of civil service posts (a) created and (b) lost (i) on Merseyside (ii) in each Government Department and (iii) in each constituency in each of the last six years is not centrally available.
	However, Information on the number of leavers and new entrants at Government Departments are published annually by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) as part of the Annual Civil Service Employment Survey (ACSES). Information on the number of employees by Government office region is also published. The ACSES report is available at the ONS website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/STATBASE/Product.asp?vlnk=2899

Departmental Equality

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what account he has taken of the effects of income inequality in the (a) formulation and (b) implementation of policy.

Nick Hurd: The Cabinet Office is committed to taking full account of equality issues in formulating and implementing policy. The Cabinet Office has a number of programmes which specifically focus on supporting citizens and communities from a range of socio-economic backgrounds, ensuring that the range of opportunities presented by Big Society are open to all.

Government Departments: Internet

Emma Reynolds: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  whether his Department plans to make available on the alpha.gov.uk website any information or services which are not available on the direct.gov.uk website;
	(2)  how much has been (a) spent on the alpha.gov.uk website to date and (b) allocated for its future development;
	(3)  what plans he has for future support of the direct.gov.uk website.

Francis Maude: The alpha.gov.uk website is an early prototype of a possible single government domain. It is yet to be decided what content and services will be included on the final release of this single government domain.
	To date £261,000 has been spent on the Alpha.gov.uk website. As yet, no funding has been allocated for any future development. This will be subject to the Cabinet Office approval process.
	The Cabinet Office will continue to support the Directgov website providing citizens with Government information and services.

Government Departments: Internet

Emma Reynolds: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the purpose is of the alpha.gov.uk website.

Francis Maude: The alpha.gov.uk website is an early prototype of a possible single government domain. It has been developed as a step to help put government services online and is aimed at making public services easier to use, as recommend by Martha Lane Fox in her review of government digital services.

Public Expenditure

Michael Meacher: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much was spent (a) at current prices and (b) in constant prices on (i) general government purchase of external goods and services and (ii) annually managed current expenditure, excluding welfare payments and debt servicing, in each year between 1987 and 2011.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated June 2011
	As Director General of the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much was spent (a) at current prices and (b) in constant prices on (i) general government purchase of external goods and services and (ii) annually managed current expenditure, excluding welfare payments and debt servicing, in each year between 1987 and 2011. (58586).
	In respect of (i), according to National Accounting conventions, ONS produces estimates of general government intermediate consumption expenditure in current prices. Intermediate consumption is a measure of all goods and services used as inputs in the process of further production. As such, for government, the measure covers not only goods and services procured from outside the government sector but also goods and services procured between departments within the government sector. The latest ONS figures for general government intermediate consumption expenditure in current prices are provided in the table overleaf from 1987 to 2010, the most recent year for which annual data are available. Figures are not available in constant prices in the absence of a suitable deflator to apply to the current price figures.
	With regards to (ii), ONS does not produce figures on annually managed current expenditure as these are published by HM Treasury.
	
		
			 General Government intermediate consumption expenditure, 1987   to   2010, United Kingdom 
			 Calendar year Expenditure (£ million current prices) 
			 1987 34,562 
			 1988 37,008 
			 1989 41,621 
			 1990 46,815 
			 1991 51,614 
			 1992 56,355 
			 1993 57,402 
			 1994 62,701 
			 1995 65,710 
			 1996 68,740 
			 1997 69,413 
		
	
	
		
			 1998 74,732 
			 1999 84,687 
			 2000 92,254 
			 2001 99,232 
			 2002 110,828 
			 2003 121,618 
			 2004 134,757 
			 2005 145,561 
			 2006 156,390 
			 2007 165,233 
			 2008 177,560 
			 2009 184,942 
			 2010 189,668

Well-being

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 7 June 2011, Official Report, column 304W, on well-being, when the Office for National Statistics will publish the first results on regional and national variations in well-being;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer of 7 June 2011, Official Report, columns 305-6W, on well-being: children, on what date the papers from the MNW Technical Advisory Group meeting on the measurement of children's well-being are to be published on the Office for National Statistics website;
	(3)  pursuant to the answer of 7 June 2011, Official Report, column 304W, on well-being, whether the Prime Minister's invitation to the Office for National Statistics to provide subjective measures of well-being included subjective measures of well-being for children.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated June 2011
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Questions asking, when the first results on regional and national variations in well-being of the ONS (59622), on what date the papers from the MNW Technical Advisory Group meeting on the measurement of children's well-being are to be published on the ONS website (59624) and whether the Prime Minister's invitation to the ONS to provide subjective measures of well-being included subjective measures of well-being for children (59625).
	The first annual experimental results of subjective well-being from the Integrated Household Survey (IHS) are planned for publication in July 2012 and these will provide estimates by region and country within the UK. The IHS is a survey of people aged 16 and over.
	In accepting the Prime Minister's invitation to produce wider measures of national well-being, and in launching the national debate on measuring national well-being, the National Statistician and the ONS recognise the importance of including children and young people. ONS held a number of events about children and young people's well-being during the national debate, including events in schools and with young people in other settings.
	We will aim to publish papers from the Measuring National Well-being Technical Advisory Group meeting on children and young people by 19 July 2011. We publish papers on our website at
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/well-being

Argentina: Overseas Aid

Penny Mordaunt: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much (a) direct and (b) indirect aid the Government has given to Argentina in each year since 1982; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Duncan: Details of the Department of International Development (DFID) aid expenditure is published in Statistics on International Development (SID) which is available in the House Library or online at:
	www.dfid.gov.uk
	No aid to Argentina was recorded for the financial years 1982-83 to 1989-90 inclusive or for the years 2002-03 to 2009-10 inclusive. Figures for the remaining years are reproduced in the table. No aid was provided directly to the Argentinean Government in any of the given years.
	
		
			 DFID bilateral expenditure in Argentina 
			  £000 
			 1990-91 20 
			 1991-92 26 
			 1992-93 90 
		
	
	
		
			 1993-94 149 
			 1994-95 98 
			 1995-96 139 
			 1996-97 136 
			 1997-98 135 
			 1998-99 160 
			 1999-2000 134 
			 2000-01 8 
			 2001-02 <1

British Overseas Territories

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans he has to visit British Overseas Territories in the next year.

Alan Duncan: The Secretary of State for International Development, the right hon. Member for Sutton Coldfield (Mr Mitchell), visited Montserrat in January this year. That visit was a chance to see at first hand the challenges and opportunities Montserrat faces. Many of these challenges—better access, ensuring sustainable growth, reducing aid dependency on the UK—are shared by other Overseas Territories.
	The Secretary of State plans to visit St Helena once all the contracts related to the new airport have been signed and agreed, and the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding he signed with the Government of St Helena have been honoured.

British Overseas Territories: Overseas Aid

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much aid his Department has given to British Overseas Territories in each of the last 10 years.

Alan Duncan: Details of the Department for International Development's (DFID's) aid expenditure, including in the British Overseas Territories, are published in Statistics on International Development, which is available in the Library of the House and on DFID's website:
	www.dfid.gov.uk
	Bilateral programme expenditure in the British Overseas Territories for the last 10 years (since 2001-02) is reproduced in the following table. Figures for 2010-11 will be published in the next addition of Statistics on International Development.
	
		
			 Total DFID Bilateral 
			 £000 
			  Montserrat St Helena and Dependencies Pitcairn Anguiila Turks and Caicos Islands British Virgin Islands 
			 2001-02 22,481 10,106 — 1,847 2,719 83 
			 2002-03 23,350 9,555 53 1,044 1,532 90 
			 2003-04 24,757 10,525 66 854 741 11 
			 2004-05 14,151 14,481 1,314 1,216 1,187 — 
			 2005-06 12,617 13,563 2,582 895 357 — 
			 2006-07 15,556 15,692 1,837 — 149 — 
			 2007-08 17,164 17,550 1,460 — 178 — 
			 2008-09 16,276 35,738 2,115 — 1,000 — 
			 2009-10 20,766 22,701 1,790 — 4,690 —

Central America

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans he has to visit Central America in the next year.

Alan Duncan: Ministers have no current plans to visit Central America.

Central America: Environment Protection

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department has taken to promote environmental awareness in central American nations in each of the last five years; and what the cost to the public purse was of such promotion in each such year.

Alan Duncan: The recent Bilateral Aid Review (BAR) has enabled the Department For International Development (DFID) to better target UK aid where it will have the greatest impact on poverty. Central America was not identified as a region that should be a priority for receiving bilateral aid from the UK. The UK continues to support work in central America through contributions to multilateral organisations, including the Inter-American Development Bank, the World Bank, the European Commission and the United Nations. Moreover, a number of DFID's civil society partners are continuing to work with poor communities in parts of Latin America, including central America. Many of these organisations have been and will continue to promote environmental awareness in the region.
	It would be a disproportionate cost to the Department to provide an annual break down of costs and activities undertaken in the region on environmental awareness over the last five years.

Central America: Politics and Government

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to promote good governance in central American nations.

Alan Duncan: The recent Bilateral Aid Review (BAR) has enabled the Department For International Development (DFID) to better target UK aid where it will have the greatest impact on poverty. Central America was not identified as a region that would receive bilateral aid from DFID. The UK continues to supports work in central American through contributions to multilateral organisations, including the Inter-American Development Bank, the World Bank, the European Commission and the United Nations. Moreover, a number of DFID's civil society partners operate in Latin America's poorest countries, including central America. Many of these organisations have been and will continue to promote good governance in the region.
	DFID's Governance and Transparency Fund supports civil society and the media to make governments more transparent and accountable to their citizens. This fund supports 37 programmes around the world including in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica and Nicaragua. The programmes in central America work on a wide range of governance issues such as public expenditure accountability, budget transparency and natural resource governance.

Central America: Sustainable Development

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had with governments of Central American nations on environmental sustainability.

Alan Duncan: Ministers have not had recent discussions with counterparts in Central American countries on environmental sustainability.
	The UK does not have a bilateral aid programme in any Central American country. The UK supports work in Central America through contributions to multilateral organisations, including the Inter-American Development Bank, the World Bank, the European Commission and the United Nations. A number of DFlD's civil society partners also work with poor communities in parts of Latin America, including Central America.

Departmental Travel

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department has spent on private charter aircraft in each of the last 10 years.

Alan Duncan: In 2011, DFID has spent £4,513,253 so far on air charter, mostly for migrant repatriation flights at the beginning of the Libya crisis. In 2010, DFID spent £3,362,578 on chartering aircraft, mostly moving supplies and personnel to Haiti in the aftermath of the January 2010 Earthquake. In 2009, DFID spent £262,204 on chartering aircraft for similar purposes. These are the only years for which figures are available.
	The costs detailed above represent those incurred through our central contracts, primarily covering humanitarian assistance. Details of costs incurred on local in-country charters are not available without incurring disproportionate cost.

Departmental Travel

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department has spent on chartered boats in each of the last 10 years.

Alan Duncan: Available records show that the Department for International Development (DFID) has not chartered any boats in the last 10 years.
	DFID provides budget assistance for aided Territories that includes payments for scheduled shipping subsidies.

Developing Countries: Climate Change

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department has allocated to developing countries to assist with climate change mitigation programmes since 2009.

Alan Duncan: Between April 2009 and March 2011 Department for International Development spent £668 million on climate programmes, of which £294 million was spent on low carbon development and £138.25 million on tackling deforestation.
	Examples of results include, supporting investments to generate enough energy to power 16 million households through the Clean Technology Fund and in Nepal, increasing the incomes of 527,000 households by an average of 60% through the UK livelihoods and forestry programme.
	The UK has allocated £2.9 billion, April 2011 to March 2015, to support international poverty reduction by helping developing countries to adapt to climate change, take up low carbon growth, and tackle deforestation. DFID has been allocated £1.8 billion, the Department for Energy and Climate Change £1 billion and the Department for Environment and Rural Affairs £100 million.
	The UK government will aim to spend 50% of climate finance on adaptation. This will be kept under review. The remainder of climate finance will be spent on low carbon development and tackling deforestation.

Developing Countries: Food

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when he expects figures on funds distributed under the L'Aquila Food Security Initiative in 2010-11 to be available.

Alan Duncan: The UK's financial commitment under the L'Aquila Food Security Initiative is £1.1 billion over the three financial years 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12. In the fiscal year 2009-10, the Department for International Development disbursed £326 million, which is 29% of its total pledge. Our expectation is that Department for International Development disbursed funds at a roughly equivalent level during 2010-11, but final figures will not be available before October 2011.

Developing Countries: Food

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of funds disbursed under the L'Aquila Food Security Initiative was spent on initiatives to support women farmers in 2009-10.

Alan Duncan: In fiscal 2009-10 the UK disbursed £326 million, 29% of its total pledge. The L'Aquila Food Security Initiative Review Group presently monitors spending but not results or types of beneficiaries.
	The Department for International Development does not currently monitor gender disaggregated beneficiary figures but is planning to do so in future. Identifying the exact number of women farmers who benefited in 2009-10 and the proportion of funds spent specifically on them would involve disproportionate efforts and would not be considered good value for UK taxpayers' money.

Developing Countries: HIV Infection

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what support his Department plans to provide for (a) prevention of and (b) research into HIV/AIDS in developing countries during the comprehensive spending review period.

Alan Duncan: In “Towards zero infections: the UK's position paper on HIV in the developing world” the UK Government commits to significantly reduce new HIV infections. Over the comprehensive spending review period our focus on combination prevention will prevent at least half a million new HIV infections among women in Africa, and support to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria will put 37,000 HIV-positive women on treatment to prevent transmission to their babies.
	In terms of research, we are supporting the development of prevention technologies, microbicides and vaccines, against HIV through product development partnerships, including the International Partnership for Microbicides (IPM) and the International Aids Vaccine Initiative (IAVI). In addition the UK is supporting a wide range of other research into HIV, including the effect of HIV on co-infection with other diseases, on mothers and children, and how to deliver HIV treatment in poor countries. A new research programme started in June 2011, to understand better the underlying drivers of HIV and find innovative solutions to halt its spread.

Developing Countries: HIV Infection

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance his Department is providing for provision of anti-retroviral drugs to combat HIV/AIDS in developing countries.

Alan Duncan: In “Towards zero infections: the UK's position paper on HIV in the developing world” the UK Government outline our aim to reduce the costs of diagnosis and treatment. The UK will work with the pharmaceutical industry to get even more people on life-saving treatment. We will drive down costs for medicines, securing lower prices and better value for money in order to increase access.
	Through our support to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria we will put 37,000 HIV-positive women on treatment to prevent HIV transmission to their babies and provide 268,000 people with anti-retroviral treatment for HIV. Our work with the Clinton Foundation to drive down treatment costs will generate enough cost-savings to purchase medicines- for an additional 500,000 people by 2015.

Developing Countries: Tax Avoidance

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his most recent estimate is of the effects of tax avoidance and evasion on GDP per capita in developing countries within the G77.

Alan Duncan: The Government have not carried out such an estimate. The Government recognises that tax evasion and avoidance is a serious problem, and we are committed to helping developing countries to protect and develop their tax base but there are difficulties in calculating the exact impact of evasion and avoidance. A 2008 report “Tax evasion, tax avoidance and tax expenditures in developing countries: A review of the literature” by the Oxford University Centre for Business Taxation for the Department for International Development highlighted the methodological and data difficulties with estimates of this type.

G8

Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the development outcomes of the G8 Summit in May 2011 were; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Mitchell: Among the significant development outcomes at this year's G8 Summit was the agreement of the Deauville Partnership to support democratic transition in the countries in the middle east and North Africa. The UK also secured G8 commitment to increasing support for regional integration in Africa, aimed at enhancing growth opportunities for African countries.
	The Summit endorsed the Deauville Accountability Report, which set out progress against G8 commitments on food security, maternal and child health and aid; and showed clearly—in real terms, excluding the impact of inflation—whether or not countries have met their aid commitments. The Prime Minister restated the UK's commitment to spend 0.7% of GNI as overseas aid from 2013 and strongly encouraged others to follow our example.

South America: Overseas Aid

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department spent in each country in South America in the last year for which figures are available.

Alan Duncan: Details of the Department for International Development's (DFID) aid expenditure in developing countries to 2009-10, including aid to countries in South America are published in Statistics on International Development (SID) available in the House Library or online at
	www.dfid.gov.uk
	Figures for 2010-11 will be published in DFID's annual report in July.

Ministers

Chris Bryant: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what his policy is on the number of Ministers the Prime Minister would be allowed to appoint to membership of the reformed second chamber at any one time.

Mark Harper: The Government published proposals for a wholly or mainly elected House of Lords on 17 May.
	In the White Paper the Government have said the Prime Minister should also be able to appoint a limited number of people to serve as Ministers who would be members of the reformed House of Lords only for the duration of their appointment. The draft Bill makes provision for the detailed arrangements to implement this to be set out in secondary legislation, though the Government are open to including this in the Bill itself.

Voting Rights: Prisoners

Priti Patel: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 7 June 2011, Official Report, column 32W, on voting rights: prisoners, when he expects to announce what his next steps will be in response to the judgements on prisoner votes from the European Court of Human Rights.

Mark Harper: Under the terms of the Greens and MT judgment of the European Court of Human Rights, which became final on 11 April, the Government have six months to bring forward legislative proposals to end the current blanket ban on prisoners voting. The Government are considering the next steps and I will inform the House when decisions on the way forward have been reached.

Cancer: Health Services

Mel Stride: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the capability of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to carry out appraisals for innovative inhibitor therapies for rare cancers in instances where the target population is insufficient for the Institute's study criteria to be met.

Paul Burstow: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has appraised, or is appraising, a number of inhibitor therapies for less common cancers. The potential size of the patient population is one consideration in determining whether NICE should develop guidance on a treatment. However, the overarching consideration is whether NICE guidance can add value in a particular case.

Cancer: Health Services

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress he has made in implementing the new cancer strategy contained in his Department's report Improving Outcomes: a Strategy for Cancer.

Paul Burstow: We published ‘Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer’ in January 2011, setting out the Government's plans to tackle preventable incidence of cancer and to improve outcomes for cancer patients. The strategy set out a range of areas where it plans to improve outcomes, such as survival rates and patient experience, in line with the NHS Outcomes Framework and the draft Public Health Outcome Framework. We will be assessing progress against those outcomes but it is too early to do so.
	We can however assess progress in relation to actions that the strategy committed to in order to support delivery of improved outcomes. There has been progress across a wide range of these. For example, we launched pilots for the first national bowel cancer symptom awareness campaign on 31 January 2011 and have also funded a range of local activity to encourage earlier presentation with symptoms which could be cancer. Subject to evaluation and the lessons learned, the bowel cancer campaign will be rolled out nationwide.

Cancer: Health Services

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps his Department is taking to ensure timely access to treatment by patients with rare forms of cancer;
	(2)  what steps his Department is taking to improve awareness amongst GPs of the symptoms of rare forms of cancer in children.

Paul Burstow: The cancer waiting time standard of a maximum 62-day wait between urgent referral for suspected cancer from a general practitioner and the start of treatment applies to all types of cancer, including those that could be considered rarer cancers. A review of cancer waiting times standards undertaken as part of the development of “Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer”, published on 12 January, determined that this standard is beneficial for patients and that it should be maintained.
	Consequently, the requirement to start treatment for these patients within 62 days has been retained in the “Operating Framework for the NHS in England for 2011/12”. Statistics for the most recent period available (Quarter 4 2010-11) show that 87.3% of patients began cancer treatment within 62 days of urgent referral for suspected cancer. The expected level of performance for the 62-day standard is 85%.
	“Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer” also set out our commitment to work with a number of rarer cancer charities to assess what more could be done to encourage appropriate referrals to secondary care and to diagnose rarer cancers earlier. Departmental officials have already met with a number of charities, including those concerned with cancers that affect children. The outcome of these discussions will inform our future work in this area.

Care Quality Commission

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will instigate a review of the work and management of the Care Quality Commission.

Simon Burns: A number of inquiries are under way following the abuse exposed at Winterbourne View. The Government are clear that any failings in care are unacceptable. These include both an independently-chaired Serious Case Review led by South Gloucestershire council which will examine all the agencies involved and reviews by the Care Quality Commission, the national health service and the safeguarding boards.
	Departmental officials, assisted by Mark Goldring, chief executive of Mencap, will then draw together the key lessons from these reviews. Once we have all the facts and have examined the results of the various inquiries, we will report further to Parliament.

Cervical Cancer: Screening

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects human papillomavirus testing for triage and test of cure as part of the NHS Cervical Screening Programme to be available to all women who are eligible for it.

Paul Burstow: ‘The Operating Framework for the NHS in England 2011-12’ states that commissioners should work with their local services and national health service cancer screening programmes to implement human papillomavirus (HPV) testing as triage for women with mild or borderline screening test results, leading to a more patient centred service and major cost savings.
	NHS Cancer Screening Programmes held a workshop with front-line cervical screening staff in March 2011 to develop recommendations on how this will be achieved. Advice to the service, including implementation guidance, will be issued later in the summer. The intention is that, subject to meeting certain criteria, local cervical screening programmes will implement HPV triage in 2011-12 and HPV test of cure in 2012-13. Implementing both improvements in the same year would risk the quality and safety of the current programme, and put an unnecessary burden on colposcopy services.

Circle Health

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the performance of Circle Health in providing NHS services in 2010-11.

Simon Burns: Circle delivers both national health service-funded services and services for private patients from its hospitals.
	Circle currently holds two contracts under the Independent Sector Treatment Centres (ISTC) programme. LP3 Burton (NHS South Staffs) is due to expire in July 2011 and GC5E Nottingham (NHS Nottingham City) which is due to expire in July 2013. Circle previously held a contract for LP2 Bradford (NHS Bradford and Airedale). This contract expired in January 2010 and was re-procured locally by the NHS. Circle also delivers activity to NHS patients through the Extended Choice Network (ECN) which is paid at tariff and has no guaranteed volume payment.
	Responsibility for the day to day management of the contract resides with the local NHS. The Department collects and monitors financial and activity data in relation to the ISTC programme.
	The following table sets out the total paid to Circle for all ISTC contracts and the total value of the activity provided. The table also includes data for activity provided through the ECN/FCN frameworks.
	
		
			 Centrally procured IS activity total value paid to circle 
			 £ 
			 Financial year Paid to provider  (1) Activity value ISTC utilisation   (  %  ) ECN/FCN Total Wave 1 + ECN paid 
			 2008-09 47,025,938 38,513,013 82 68,619 47,094,557 
			 2009-10 66,264,368 60,742,757 92 13,174 66,277,542 
			 2010-11 69,933,920 65,952,765 94 2,204,046 72,137,967 
			  183,224,226 165,208,535 90 2,285,840 185,510,066 
			 (1) Wave 1 schemes LP2 Bradford, LP3 Burton, GC5E Nottingham Notes: 1. ‘Value of procedures performed’ is for is the monetary value of procedures performed under the pricing formula in the ISTC contract. 2. ‘Paid to provider’ is the guarantee amount plus any other activity charge under the contract.

Directors: Pay

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the annual salary is of the Managing Director of NHS South West London;
	(2)  what the total cost to the public purse, including pension provision, was of the post of Managing Director of NHS South West London in the last year for which figures are available.

Simon Burns: This information is not held centrally. Approval of pay for very senior managers in NHS South West London is a matter for London Strategic Health Authority.

General Practitioners: Telephone Services

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the proportion of GP surgeries in England which use premium 0844 numbers for patients seeking appointment; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: The Department has made no assessment of the proportion of general practitioner surgeries in England that use 0844 numbers for patients seeking appointments.
	The Department issued guidance and directions to national health service bodies in December 2009 on the cost of telephone calls, which prohibit the use of telephone numbers which charge the patient more than the equivalent cost of calling a geographical number to contact the NHS. It is currently the responsibility of primary care trusts to ensure that local practices are compliant with the directions and guidance.

Health Services

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health of 17 May 2011, Official Report, column 319, on public health observatories, what the purpose is of the Government's £12 million contribution to public health observatories.

Anne Milton: To clarify my statement further, the Government contributed around £12 million to public health observatories (PHOs) in both financial year 2009-10 and financial year 2010-11.
	The purpose of this funding was to:
	deliver and maintain the PHO leadership, management and infrastructure across its nine offices in England; and
	deliver a work programme individually and collectively comprising national, regional and local components.
	The primary activities of the PHOs are to:
	analyse information and data to produce meaningful health intelligence;
	work in partnership with practitioners, government, health and academic organisations at local and national level;
	develop public health expertise and in-depth knowledge of health and health care at a regional level; and
	monitor and forecast trends in health status and disease, and play a major role in showing how health inequalities are being tackled locally and regionally.
	Finally, the funding also supports the integration and interfaces of the PHOs and their staff with other elements of the public health information and intelligence infrastructure including the Cancer Registries, National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, Quality Observatories and Congenital Anomalies Registers.

HIV Infection: Reading

Alok Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of people newly diagnosed with HIV in Reading in the latest period for which figures are available; and what steps he is taking to reduce the number of people diagnosed with HIV.

Anne Milton: The information available is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Individuals newly diagnosed with HIV in Berkshire West Primary Care Trust (PCT) by year of diagnosis, 2006-10 
			 Year of diagnosis HIV diagnoses 
			 2006 65 
			 2007 71 
			 2008 71 
			 2009 61 
			 2010 64 
			 Notes: 1. These data represent new HIV diagnoses made in Berkshire West PCT, within which Reading is located. The area of diagnosis is not necessarily the area of residence of an individual and therefore data are not currently presented lower than PCT level. 2. Diagnoses are from reports received by the HPA to the end of December 2010. Numbers will rise as further reports are received. 3. Patients may live with HIV for many years before they are diagnosed. Therefore, new diagnosis data does not necessarily reflect recently acquired infections. Source: Health Protection Agency (HPA) 
		
	
	In relation to reducing HIV diagnosis we are now better able to target those communities whose behaviour puts them at increased risk of HIV. These are men who have sex with men and black African communities living in the United Kingdom. That is why the Department works in partnership with the Terrence Higgins Trust, the African Health Policy Network and other voluntary and community organisations in supporting targeted HIV prevention programmes.
	In addition, the Department has funded eight pilot projects in high prevalence areas looking at new approaches to HIV testing in primary care, non-specialist hospital settings and community social settings. We are considering the findings from these projects.

Hospitals: Admissions

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the proportion of hospital admissions that are alcohol-related in the latest period for which figures are available.

Anne Milton: The information is in the following table. These data should not be described as a count of people as the same person may have been admitted on more than one occasion.
	
		
			 Estimate of alcohol-related admission episodes  (1)  , total eligible finished admission episodes (FAEs)  (2)   and total FAEs; 2009-10: Activity in English national health service hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector 
			  Total alcohol-related admissions Total eligible FAEs Total FAEs Percentage of admissions that are alcohol-related (based on Total alcohol-eligible FAEs) 
			 2009-10 1,056,962.34 14,395,550 14,445,354 7.3 
			 (1 )Estimate of Alcohol-related admissions: The number of alcohol-re la ted admissions is based on the methodology developed by the North West Public Health Observatory (NWPHO), which uses 48 indicators for alcohol-related illnesses, determining the proportion of a wide range of diseases and injuries that can be partly attributed to alcohol as well as those that are, by definition, wholly attributable to alcohol. Further information on these proportions can be found at www.nwph.net/nwpho/publications/AlcoholAttributableFractions.pdf The application of the NWPHO methodology was updated in summer 2010 and is now available directly from Hospital Episode Statistics (HES). As such, information about episodes estimated to be alcohol related may be slightly different from previously published data. (2) Finished admission episodes (FAEs): FAE is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. FAEs are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. It should be noted that the figures provided for eligible FAEs relate to English resident patients with a known sex and age only and not admissions in England of individuals who reside in other parts of the United Kingdom or foreign nationals. Admissions do not represent the number of in-patients. Note: Data quality: HES are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts in England and from some independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain. Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The NHS Information Centre for health and social care.

Leukaemia: Medical Treatments

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects second line treatments for chronic myeloid leukaemia to be approved by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.

Paul Burstow: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is currently appraising dasatinib, high-dose imatinib and nilotinib for the treatment of imatinib-resistant chronic myeloid leukaemia. We understand that NICE expects to issue its final guidance to the national health service in autumn 2011.
	Further information is available at:
	http://guidance.nice.org.uk/TA/WaveR/99

Leukaemia: Medical Treatments

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many chronic myeloid leukaemia patients were prescribed standard dose imatinib in the last year for which figures are available.

Paul Burstow: Information on the number of people prescribed a medicine, the dosage or the medical condition being treated, is not collected centrally. Imatinib can be used to treat a range of medical conditions, including chronic myeloid leukaemia.
	In the year 2010, there were 3,262 items for imatinib dispensed in the community in England, written in the United Kingdom, with a net ingredient cost of £8.9 million. This figure is taken from the Prescription Cost Analysis database.
	Also in 2010, the cost of imatinib used in hospitals, in England, is estimated to be £55.2 million. This figure is taken from the Hospital Pharmacy Audit Index. Data on the number of items prescribed in hospitals are not available centrally.

Leukaemia: Medical Treatments

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what estimate his Department has made of the proportion of patients prescribed standard dose imatinib who are likely to become resistant to the treatment;
	(2)  what treatments are available on the NHS to chronic myeloid leukaemia patients who become resistant to standard dose imatinib.

Paul Burstow: No central assessment has been made of the proportion of patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) treated with imatinib who are likely to become resistant to the treatment. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence issued guidance to the National Health Service in 2003 that recommends that imatinib can be used as a first-line treatment for CML patients meeting specific clinical criteria.
	Treatment options for CML patients who have developed resistance to imatinib can include interferon alfa, busulfan and hydroxycarbamide, or a bone marrow or stem cell transplant.

LIFE

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons the organisation Life has been appointed to his Department's Sexual Health Forum.

Anne Milton: Life has been invited to sit on the Sexual Health Forum because it is important to ensure that a wide range of views and interests are represented.

Mental Health Services

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the appropriateness of the right of mentally ill patients not held under the provisions of the Mental Health Act 1983 to discharge themselves from hospital in circumstances where they may be a danger to themselves.

Paul Burstow: Patients not detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 are free to discharge themselves from hospital at any time. Where it is considered that a patient may be a danger to themselves if they were to leave, there is provision under the Act for that patient to remain in hospital under holding powers. One power may be exercised by the doctor (or nominated deputy) or approved clinician in charge of the patient's treatment and can remain in force for up to 72 hours. In addition, in the absence of the doctor or the approved clinician, certain nurses may authorise detention for up to six hours.
	National health service staff also have to consider the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act, which provide a framework for decision making for people who lack capacity to make their own decisions. This requires best interests decisions to be made and the deprivation of liberty safeguards to be applied if a deprivation of liberty is being considered.

NHS: Freedom of Information

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 10 March 2011, Official Report, columns 120-1W, on NHS: freedom of information, where the information is held to which reference is made in the answer.

Simon Burns: Individual statutory bodies, including national health service bodies such as special health authorities, strategic health authorities, primary care trusts, NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts, are responsible in their own right for their duties under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. The Department does not require NHS bodies to report their expenditure on providing information requested under the provisions of the Act. Local NHS organisations would be best placed to compile any estimate of these costs.

North East Ambulance Service NHS Trust: Finance

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding his Department has allocated to the North East Ambulance Service for each year of the Comprehensive Spending Review period.

Simon Burns: The Department has not allocated any funding directly to the North East Ambulance Service NHS Trust for each year of the comprehensive spending review period. Rather, the Department currently makes revenue allocations to primary care trusts (PCTs). The most recent round of allocations to PCTs was for 2011-12. It is for PCTs to use the funding allocated to them to commission services to meet the healthcare needs of their local populations, taking account of local and national priorities. NHS trusts primarily derive income through the provision of health services to PCTs.

Nurses: West Midlands

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received about the planned reduction in commissioned nurse places in the west midlands in 2011-12.

Anne Milton: A search has been made of the relevant departmental databases which has found 13 items of correspondence and one parliamentary question about commissioned nurse places in the west midlands in 2011-12. It is likely that this figure will represent the majority of correspondence received, if not all of them.

Nurses: West Midlands

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the potential effects on patient care of planned reductions in nursing commissions in the west midlands; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: Strategic health authorities (SHAs) are responsible for setting levels of nursing commissions. There is a service level agreement between the Department and SHAs for the Multi Professional Education and Training budget, which requires SHAs to base their education and training commissioning on the workforce plans of providers.
	The West Midlands SHA has confirmed that they have finalised their plans based on workforce planning information and following discussions with national health service organisations and higher education institutions providing health professional training programmes. Departmental officials will work with the SHA to review the situation and ensure that the planned level of commissions remains appropriate.

Organs: Donors

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to (a) increase awareness of organ donation and (b) encourage the registration of organ donors.

Anne Milton: There are a number of initiatives planned or in place to raise awareness about the benefits of organ donation and to encourage more people to add their name to the organ donor register (ODR). Much of the work is led by NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) in liaison with a number of partners in the private, public and third sectors to encourage people to join the ODR (for example, when registering with a doctor).
	Earlier this year NHSBT ran a campaign targeted specifically at Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) communities, highlighting the importance of people from Black and Asian communities joining the ODR and discussing their donation wishes with family members. The campaign included a tour of shopping centres in areas with a high concentration of Black and Asian communities, visits to Hindu, Sikh and Muslim faith organisations and places of worship, advertising on Black and Asian television channels, radio stations and newspapers, a social media campaign and a poster display in community shops and outlets.
	NHSBT is also working in partnership with the Department of Transport and Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency to introduce “prompted choice” on 17 July 2011. The prompted choice approach requires people applying for a driving licence online to make a choice about organ donation. If successful, NHSBT will consider rolling out the approach in other areas.
	National Transplant Week is an annual event to be held between the 4 and 10 July 2011. NHSBT is leading a consortium of partner organisations to plan activity under the theme of “What Are You Waiting For?” Through outreach events, case studies, media engagement and the use of social media tools such as Twitter, the campaign will also highlight how quick and easy it is to join the NHS ODR.
	As local public figures, we would urge hon. Members to use every opportunity to raise this issue with their local media, to encourage people to discuss organ donation with their families, and to sign up.

Organs: Donors

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria are used to assess the status of death in interpreting the wishes of holders of NHS Blood and Transplant organ donor cards.

Anne Milton: Death is confirmed by a doctor or doctors who are entirely independent of the transplant team. Death is confirmed in exactly the same way for people who donate organs as for those who do not. Donation will only proceed with valid consent.
	Most organ donors are patients who have died as a result of a brain haemorrhage, severe head injury, or stroke and who are on a ventilator in a hospital intensive care unit. In these circumstances, death is diagnosed by brain stem tests. There are very clear and strict standards and procedures for doing these tests and they are always performed by two experienced doctors.
	The ventilator provides oxygen which keeps the heart beating and blood circulating after death. Donation following the irreversible cessation of brain-stem function is called Donation after Brain Death or DBD.
	Patients who die in hospital but are not on a ventilator can, in some circumstances, also donate. This is called Donation after Cardiac or Circulatory Death or DCD.
	“A Code of Practice for the Diagnosis and Confirmation of Death 2008” is available on the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges website:
	www.aomrc.org.uk/publications/reports-guidance.html

Organs: Donors

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the NHS Blood and Transplant Strategic Plan 2011-14, what plans he has to promote more widely the economic case for organ donation and transplantation.

Anne Milton: The NHS Blood and Transplant Strategic Plan 2011-14 states that in addition to saving and improving lives there is an economic case for organ transplantation. The existing transplantation programme realises gross annual savings in excess of £300 million versus alternative medical treatments.
	It has been estimated that the impact of increasing the number of organs available by 50% for transplant by 2013 would increase the savings to the national health service by an additional £200 million a year. NHS Blood and Transplant is working closely with clinical leads for organ donation and donation committees within hospital trusts as well as the wider NHS to promote the economic case for donation.

Out of Area Treatment: Wales

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with Welsh Government Ministers on the effect of his proposed NHS reforms on cross-border service delivery.

Anne Milton: The Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr Lansley), met Ministers of the Welsh Assembly Government on 1 December 2010 to discuss the future of the cross-border commissioning protocol.
	It was agreed that until the forthcoming changes to the manner in which health care in England is commissioned are finalised in the Health and Social Care Bill currently going through Parliament, no substantial changes to the cross-border protocol should be introduced.
	The intention was therefore that the protocol due to expire on the 31 March 2011 should be renewed with minimal changes for one year, to run seamlessly, and this is what has now been agreed.

Patients: Nutrition

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what training and support is given to nurses in assessing the nutritional needs of patients.

Anne Milton: The content and standard of healthcare education is the responsibility of the independent regulatory bodies. In their role as custodian of quality standards in education and practice, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is the regulatory body with responsibility for nursing and sets standards for nursing and midwifery education programmes.
	The NMC has recently introduced new standards for nurse education and training that contain essential skills clusters that are incorporated into all nurse education programmes. The skills associated with these clusters include training and knowledge on nutrition and fluid management.

Patients: Nutrition

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to provide nutritional screening for vulnerable patients on admission to hospital.

Anne Milton: Local national health service organisations are responsible for nutrition screening policies. There are a number of initiatives in place to help organisations develop their policies. These include the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidance on malnutrition in which all in-patients should be weighed, measured and have their Body Mass Index calculated on admission; the “Essence of Care” benchmarking system which includes “food and drink” covering screening and assessment on initial contact; and the Council of Europe resolution on food and nutritional care in hospital covering screening of all patients on admission to hospital.

Patients: Nutrition

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to improve the quality of data on malnutrition (a) collected by the NHS and (b) published by his Department.

Paul Burstow: The interpretation of national health service data on malnutrition, obtained from information on primary and secondary diagnoses recorded on Hospital Episode Statistics, is not straightforward.
	The Health and Social Care Information Centre has a role in reviewing and in seeking improvements in the quality of the data it collects. Subject to the passage of the Health and Social Care Bill through Parliament, the Secretary of State for Health or the NHS Commissioning Board will determine which data is collected by the Health and Social Care Information Centre. The Information Centre will also be able to consider additional requests from other arm's length bodies, and carry out those data collections if specific criteria are met.

Patients: Nutrition

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the report of 26 May 2011 by the Care Quality Commission on dignity and nutrition for older people, what progress his Department is making in reducing the incidence of malnutrition in acute healthcare settings.

Paul Burstow: The Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr Lansley), requested the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to conduct a programme of unannounced inspections of hospitals providing care for older people. The CQC looked at compliance against the Essential Standards for Dignity and Nutrition. The first 12 reports were published on 26 May 2011 and 40 reports have been published so far. In instances where compliance problems were identified, the trusts concerned are required to submit reports to the CQC setting out the actions it will take to improve. Strategic health authorities will monitor progress locally and the CQC will check to make sure that improvements have been made.

Streptococcal Infections

Margot James: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the merits of testing for Group B streptococcal infections in pregnant women;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to prevent Group B streptococcal infections in newborn babies.

Anne Milton: The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) advises Ministers and the national health service in all four countries about all aspects of screening policy. The UK NSC reviewed the policy for screening for group B streptococcus (GBS) in pregnant women in 2009 and concluded that the evidence did not support its introduction. The UK NSC will review its policy position again on GBS carriage in pregnancy screening in 2012 or earlier if any significant new peer reviewed evidence emerges.
	The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) has a Green-top guideline, Prevention of Early onset Group B Streptococcal Disease which provides guidance for obstetricians, midwives and neonatologists on the prevention of early-onset neonatal GBS. The RCOG also produce parallel patient information, Preventing group B streptococcus infection in newborn babies (“Information for You”), for women and their families who are expecting a baby or are planning to get pregnant. Advice is also available on the NHS Choices website at:
	www.nhs.uk/chq/pages/2580.aspx?categoryid=54&subcategoryid=137

Strokes: Children

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's Stroke Quality Standard is to address the prevention and management of stroke in paediatric patients.

Simon Burns: The stroke Quality Standard was published in June 2010 and addresses the care provided to adult stroke patients by health care staff during diagnosis and initial management, acute-phase care, rehabilitation and long-term management. It does not cover the prevention and management of stroke in paediatric patients.
	A consultation on the library of Quality Standard topics will follow later this year.

Sunderland Teaching Primary Care Trust: Redundancy

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff of the Sunderland Teaching Primary Trust took voluntary redundancy in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Simon Burns: Information is not centrally available for the period requested. The Electronic Staff Record shows that during the period June 2010 to March 2011, there were 49 voluntary redundancies at Sunderland Teaching Primary Care Trust. This is the latest centrally available data.

Business

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the name is of each business support scheme facilitated by his Department.

Mark Prisk: holding answer 9 June 2011
	In March 2011 the streamlined Solutions for Business portfolio was announced. This portfolio contains 13 products which are:
	High Growth Coaching
	Helping Your Business Grow Internationally
	Manufacturing Advisory Service
	Designing Demand
	Knowledge Transfer Partnerships
	Networking for Innovation
	Collaborative Research and Development
	Grant for Research and Development
	Workplace Training, including Apprenticeships
	Improving Your Resource Efficiency
	Finance for Business
	Understanding Finance for Business
	Rural Development Programme for England Business Support
	Other business support schemes facilitated by BIS which are not included in the Solutions for Business portfolio are:
	Enterprise Finance Guarantee
	Export Credit Insurance
	Maximising Foreign Direct Investment
	Grant for Business Investment (only available for large exceptional cases)

Business: National Vocational Qualifications

Paul Uppal: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has for future funding of the Business Improvement Techniques NVQ.

John Hayes: The Skills Funding Agency has confirmed that the Business Improvement Techniques NVQ will continue to be funded at least until the end of the 2011/12 academic year.
	Work based learning is vital to ensure that we stimulate the private sector growth that will bring new jobs and prosperity to Britain. As set out in Skills for Sustainable Growth, which was published on 16 November 2010, apprenticeships will be at the heart of the further education (FE) and skills system. Alongside apprenticeships and entitlements for the low skilled, we will prioritise Government funding for work place learning in small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs; those with fewer that 250 employees). We have also given further education and training organisations increased freedoms and flexibilities enabling them to respond to the needs of the learners, employers and communities they serve.

Debts: Citizens Advice Bureaux

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people have requested help for debt-related problems from citizens advice bureaux in Wales in (a) the last 12 months for which figures are available and (b) the previous 12 months.

Edward Davey: The Department does not collect data from Citizens Advice Bureaux (CAB) as it is a charitable membership organisation and not a direct agency of Government. However, data found on the Citizens Advice website show 145,265 individuals requesting help for debt related problems from CAB in Wales in 2010/11. In 2009/10 the figure was 132,015.
	Further information can be found on the following webpage:
	http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/index/aboutus/publications/advice_trends.htm

Departmental Travel

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much each executive agency of his Department has spent on travel by (a) private hire vehicles, (b) trains, (c) buses, (d) commercial aircraft and (e) private aircraft since May 2010.

Edward Davey: I have approached the chief executives of the Insolvency Service, Companies House, the National Measurement Office, the Intellectual Property Office, UK Space Agency and the Skills Funding Agency and they will respond to the hon. Member directly.
	Letter from Stephen Speed, dated 25 May 2011
	The Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has asked me to reply to your question how much each executive agency in his Department has spent on travel by (a) private hire vehicles, (b) trains, (c) buses, (d) commercial aircraft and (e) private aircraft since May 2010.
	The Insolvency Service Executive Agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, spent the following amounts in the 12 months May 2010 till April 2011 inclusive in respect of:
	a. Private hire vehicles made up of:
	i. Taxis: £2.666
	ii. Hire Cars: £5,208
	b. Trains: £594,881
	c. Buses: Not available
	d. Commercial aircraft: £7,657
	e. Private aircraft: Nil
	Staff can claim for bus fares as part of their subsistence claims for incidental expenses of £2.90 per day. It is not possible to disaggregate the bus element of incidental expense claims.
	Letter from Gareth Jones, dated 20 May 2011
	I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled 12 May 2011, UIN56080 to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	You have asked for the details of what we have spent on various forms of travel since May 2010. Unfortunately, I can only provide the information for the financial year as a whole, as re-calculating the costs so as to exclude the April figures would be disproportionately expensive. With that proviso the costs are as follows:
	
		
			 Mode of Transport Cost (£) 
			 Private Hire Vehicles (Car Hire) 13,590 
			 Trains 50,901 
			 Buses 0 
			 Commercial Aircraft 20,181 
			 Private Aircraft 0 
			 Total 84,672 
		
	
	Further details relating to Companies House's spend on travel are published on our website under the Transparency Agenda. This can be found at:
	http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/about/publicExpenditure.shtml
	and you will find figures under the heading ‘Government Procurement Card Spend’.
	Letter from Peter Mason, dated 24 May 2011
	I am responding in respect of the National Measurement Office (formerly National Weights and Measures Laboratory) to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 12th May 2011 [reference 2010/5378] to the Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, asking how much each executive agency in his Department has spent on travel by (a) private hire vehicles, (b) trains, (c) buses, (d) commercial aircraft and (e) private aircraft since May 2010.
	The Agency has spent the following amounts between May 2010 and April 2011
	(a) private hire vehicles: £10,579,
	(b) trains (including underground travel): £14,842,
	(c) buses: £337,
	(d) commercial aircraft: £5,549, and
	(e) private aircraft: £ nil.
	Letter from Geoff Russell, dated 23 May 2011
	Thank you for your parliamentary question addressed to the Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills asking how much the Skills Funding Agency (the Agency) has spent on travel by (a) private hire vehicles, (b) trains, (c) buses, (d) commercial aircraft and (e) private aircraft since May 2010.
	Please be advised that in the year May 2010 to April 2011 the Agency spent the following amounts on travel, which have been extracted from the information we publish online:
	
		
			  £ 
			 (a) Private hire vehicles (car hire and taxis) 250,288.35 
			 (b) Trains 979,568.32 
			 (c) Buses (1)— 
			 d) Commercial aircraft 13,478.73 
			 e) Private aircraft 0.00 
			 (1) Information is held on individual claims but not recorded separately in the accounts as it is considered to be of insignificant value 
		
	
	At May 2010 the number of Agency employees was 1,950.
	Letter from Dr David Williams, dated 26 May 2011
	Thank you for your question addressed to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills asking how much each executive agency in his Department has spent on travel by (a) private hire vehicles, (b) trains, (c) buses, (d) commercial aircraft and (e) private aircraft since May 2010. (56080)
	The UK Space Agency became an executive agency on the 1st April 2011 and there have been no recorded transactions for the above criteria since this date.
	Letter from John Alty, dated 27 May 2011
	I am responding in respect of the Intellectual Property Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled 12th May 2011, to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	From May 2010 until the end of April 2011 the Intellectual Property Office spent the following amounts,
	
		
			  £000 
			 Private hire vehicles 25 
			 Trains 193 
			 Buses 1 
			 Commercial aircraft 140

Departmental Travel

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much has been spent on travel in respect of (a) each of his Department's Executive agencies and (b) the chief executive of each such agency since May 2010.

Edward Davey: I have approached the chief executives of the Insolvency Service, Companies House, the National Measurement Office, the Intellectual Property Office, UK Space Agency and the Skills Funding Agency and they will respond to the hon. Member directly.
	Letter from Stephen Speed, dated 25 () May 2011
	The Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has asked me to reply to your question how much has been spent on travel in respect of (a) each of his Department's executive agencies and (b) the chief executive of each such agency since May 2010. (56174).
	The Insolvency Service Executive Agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, spent the following amounts on travel in the 12 months May 2010 till April 2011 inclusive in respect of:
	
		
			  £ 
			 Chief executive 2,222 
			 All staff (1)610,412 
			 (1) Including chief executive. 
		
	
	The travel costs are made up of the cost of rail, commercial aircraft, hire cars and taxis. Staff can claim for bus fares as part of their subsistence claims for incidental expenses of £2.90 per day. It is not possible to disaggregate and report the cost of the bus element of incidental expense claims and thus bus costs have not been included or reported.
	Letter from Gareth Jones, dated 20 May 2011
	I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled 12 May 2011, UIN 56174 to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	You have asked for the details of what we have spent on travel since May 2010. Unfortunately, I can only provide the information for the financial year as a whole, as re-calculating the costs so as to exclude the April figures would be disproportionately expensive. With that proviso the costs are as follows:
	
		
			 Spent by: Cost (£) 
			 Agency 84,672 
			 CEO 2,119 
		
	
	Further details relating to Companies House's spend on travel are published on our website under the Transparency Agenda. This can be found at:
	http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/about/publicExpenditure.shtml
	and you will find the figures under the heading 'Government Procurement Card Spend'.
	Letter from Peter Mason, dated 24 May 2011
	I am responding in respect of the National Measurement Office (formerly National Weights and Measures Laboratory) to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 12th May 2011 [reference 2010/5381] to the Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, asking how much has been spent on travel in respect of (a) each of his Department's executive agencies and (b) the chief executive of each such agency since May 2010.
	The Agency has spent £89,675 on travel between May 2010 and April 2011. The Chief Executive has spent £3,490 on travel during the same period. These figures include spend on hotels and meals while travelling.
	Letter from Geoff Russell, dated 23 May 2011
	Thank you for your parliamentary question addressed to the Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills asking how much (a) the Skills Funding Agency (the Agency) and (b) its chief executive have spent on travel since May 2010.
	Please be advised in the year May 2010 to April 2011 the Agency spent the following amounts, which have been extracted from the information we publish online:
	
		
			  £ 
			 (a) Travel 2,733,879.34 
		
	
	
		
			 (b) Travel by the chief executive(1) 8,872.59 
			 (1) Included in the amount above. 
		
	
	At May 2010 the number of Agency employees was 1,950.
	Letter from Emma Lord, dated 16 (th)  May 2011
	Thank you for your question addressed to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much has been spent on travel in respect of (a) each of his Department's executive agencies and (b) the chief executive of each such agency since May 2010. (56174)
	The UK Space Agency became an executive agency on the 1st April 2011 and the recorded transactions for the above criteria since this date are (a) £155 for mileage. There are no recorded transactions for criteria (b).
	Letter from John Alty, dated 27 May 2011
	I am responding in respect of the Intellectual Property Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled 12th May 2011, to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	The Intellectual Property Office has spent £448,000 on travel, between May 2010 and April 2011. Of this £21,000 related to travel undertaken by the chief executive.

Employment Agencies: EU Law

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what consideration he has given to (a) amending the content and (b) delaying the implementation of the Agency Workers Directive regulations; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: As set out in my statement to the House on 19 October 2010, Official Report, column 49WS, I have considered amending the regulations. However, opening up the regulations to amendments would have put at risk the 12 week qualifying period arising from the social partner agreement, which significantly mitigates the burdens the legislation will place on employers. Therefore the Government will not be amending the regulations.
	The deadline for member states to implement the agency workers directive is 5 December 2011. In order to meet this deadline we are introducing the Regulations at the closest common commencement date, which is October 2011. In advance of the regulations coming into force BIS has worked closely with all parties to develop accompanying guidance to help businesses, hirers and agency workers understand and prepare for the changes. This is available online at
	http://www.bis.gov.uk/policies/employment-matters/strategies/awd

English Language: Education

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood of 17 May 2011, Official Report, column 150W, on the English language: education, on what date before the summer recess he plans to publish the equality impact assessment on proposals for the future funding of English for speakers of other languages courses.

John Hayes: holding answer 10 June 2011
	An assessment of how the changes announced in Skills for Sustainable Growth may affect English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) learners is currently being carried out by the Department. I expect to be able to publish this before summer recess.

Export Credit Guarantees

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what overseas public projects were funded by the Export Credits Guarantees Department in the latest period for which figures are available.

Edward Davey: The Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD) provides guarantees to banks and insurance policies to exporters in support of export contracts with overseas buyers. It publishes a list of the guarantees and insurance policies it has issued in its annual report and accounts, the latest available being in respect of the 2009-10 financial year. The list includes details of the obligors under each facility. Copies of ECGD's annual report and accounts are available from the Libraries of the House and from ECGD's website.

Further Education: Admissions

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many young people entered formal post-16 education in further education colleges in (a) 2000 and (b) 2009.

John Hayes: Table 1 as follows shows the number of young people participating on a government-funded further education course at a further education college in 2001/02, the earliest year for which we hold this data.
	Table 2 shows number of young people participating on a government-funded further education course at a further education college in 2009/10.
	These tables are not directly comparable due to changes in the funding methodology used to determine a government-funded learner over this period.
	
		
			 Table 1: Young people in further education, 2001/02 
			  Under 19 years old 19-24 years old 
			    
			 Further education college participation 497,000 402,600 
			 All further education participation 647,200 453,800 
			 Source: Individualised Learner Record 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Young people in further education, 2009/10 
			  Under 19 years old 19-24 years old 
			 Further education college participation 682,200 398,900 
			 All further education participation 1,095,000 770,600 
			 Notes: 1. Data has been rounded to the nearest hundred. 2. Further education colleges include tertiary colleges. 3. Further information on learner numbers in 2001 can be found in an historic Statistical First Release at: http://readingroom.lsc.gov.uk/lsc/National/ILRSFR02.pdf 4. Table 2 shows a breakdown by age of information published as a cascade of the FE and Skills First Release at: http://mireportslibrary.thedataservice.org.uk/NR/rdonlyres/49370DDC-4C3E-452C-948C-AA2E1FD10F37/0/FEandSkills_providertype_finalV3.xls Source: Individualised Learner Record

Government Departments: Apprentices

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many apprentices there are in each Government department.

John Hayes: The latest available data collected by Government Skills covers apprenticeship starts during the period April 2010 to March 2011. During this period there were a total of 2,120 apprenticeship starts within Government Departments.

Green Investment Bank

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the potential contribution to the private capital of the Green Investment Bank of Government-guaranteed green bonds in capital markets.

Mark Prisk: The Green Investment Bank (GIB) will be capitalised during this Parliament with £3 billion of public funding.
	It will have borrowing powers in 2015 and once the target for debt to be falling as a percentage of gross domestic product has been met. This will allow the GIB to significantly scale up its activities.
	At the moment, we are not seeking to be prescriptive about which form the borrowing should take. There are a range of possible options, direct from the capital markets (including green bonds) or via the National Loans Fund or Debt Management Office. In due course, the merits of each possible mechanism will need to be judged according to criteria that weigh up their relative costs and benefits.
	In due course, the Government will also determine the GIB's borrowing limit, as this will score against Public Sector Net Debt.

Higher Education:Part-time Education

Hywel Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what recent discussions he has had with representatives of higher education institutions (HEIs) on steps to ensure that study through the part-time mode is financially sustainable for (a) students and (b) the provider HEI; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what recent discussions he has had with (a) the Open University and (b) Birbeck College on steps to ensure that under-represented groups in higher education receive adequate financial support; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: I have had a number of discussions with representatives of higher education institutions (HEIs), about our package of reforms, including its impact on part-time students and HEIs.
	I meet representatives of the Open University and Birkbeck College on a regular basis to discuss all aspects of part-time student support, including support that will be provided to encourage under-represented groups in higher education.
	From 2012/13 eligible new part-time students will not need to pay their tuition charges upfront as they will be able to access loans in order to pay for their tuition, as is the case for full-time students. The new system of loans will be available to significantly more part-time students than the existing package of means-tested grants, available only to low—income students and which supports only around one in seven part-time students. Support under the new loans package will not be means-tested, and can be accessed by eligible students studying at an intensity rate of at least 25% of the full-time equivalent course (FTE) each year (currently grants are available only to students studying at 50% FTE). The amount of loan will fully meet the student's actual tuition charge; which is frequently not the case under the current system of grants.
	In order to improve financial support to under-represented groups in higher education we are introducing the National Scholarship Programme, which in particular will support students from low income backgrounds.
	The significant improvement in the package of support for eligible part-time students will provide new opportunities for institutions with large numbers of such students to provide courses that are attractive.

Insolvency

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether the Insolvency Service's proposals for regulation of the insolvency community will be subject to the moratorium on new regulation for micro-businesses.

Edward Davey: The Department is currently reviewing the responses to its consultation on the regulation of insolvency practitioners. The moratorium on new regulation for micro-businesses applies to all new proposals unless waiver is agreed by Ministers taking account of all the circumstances.

Local Enterprise Partnerships: Yorkshire and the Humber

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much funding from the public purse will be provided to each local enterprise partnership in Yorkshire in (a) 2011-12 and (b) each of the next two financial years.

Mark Prisk: Local enterprise partnerships can apply to Government funding to support their development through this Department's Capacity and Start-up Funds.
	They can also apply for funding to support specific programmes or projects, for example, the Regional Growth Fund or through the Technology Strategy Board. Partnerships can also access European funding streams or may receive financial support from local authorities.
	The Department has made no projections as to how much funding each local enterprise partnership will receive from these various funding sources.

Motor Vehicles: EU Law

Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will assess the potential effects on the economy of Plymouth of the removal of the 2002 motor vehicle Block Exemption Regulation.

Edward Davey: I have no plans to assess the potential effects of the revised regulation.

Pets: Cremation

Jessica Lee: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will bring forward proposals to require the provision of information at the point of sale by pet cremation businesses on the processes which they use.

Edward Davey: The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (CPRs) bans traders in all sectors from engaging in unfair commercial practices with consumers. Among other matters, the CPRs require traders not to omit or hide material information which the average consumer needs, according to the context, to make an informed choice. Therefore if the processes used by pet cremation businesses is material to the average pet owner's decision whether to use the services of such businesses this information would need to be given to them in good time before they made their purchasing decisions.

Private Sector: Mutual Societies

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to encourage employee shareholding and mutual ownership in the private sector.

Edward Davey: The Government continues to encourage businesses to consider the benefits of employee ownership models and other mutual models, as part of its wider strategy for sustainable economic growth.
	The Government intends to improve the guidance available on
	www.businesslink.gov.uk
	to help businesses and other organisations to make better choices about legal forms and ownership model, including employee ownership.
	The Government provides four types of tax-advantaged employee share scheme, enabling employers to give employees a stake in the business and help improve its performance.
	The Government is also committed to modernising the legislation governing mutuals and ensuring that this is kept up to date, so that businesses using these legal forms can remain competitive in the future.

Regional Development Agencies: Finance

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much funding from the public purse regional development agencies were provided within (a) 2010-11 and (b) each of the previous three financial years.

Mark Prisk: The allocations to the nine English Regional Development Agencies in the four years in question were as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
			 2010-11 1,451 
			 2009-10 2,263 
			 2008-09 2,193 
			 2007-08 2,280

Regional Growth Fund: Yorkshire and the Humber

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much funding each successful applicant to the Regional Growth Fund in Yorkshire and Humber received; and for what purpose such funding was allocated in each case.

Mark Prisk: A summary of the bids that were successful and have received conditional allocations in Round 1 of the Regional Growth Fund is available from the Regional Growth Fund website:
	www.bis.gov.uk/RGF
	All those bids are subject to due diligence which is presently ongoing. Until due diligence is complete and final contract arrangements are agreed, in order to respect commercial confidentiality, no further detail of individual successful bids will be released.

Students: Finance

Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of students who lived (a) at home and (b) away from home took out a loan to fund their undergraduate studies in each of the last five years.

David Willetts: It is estimated that 80% of eligible students domiciled in England take out a maintenance loan and 86% take out a tuition fee loan. It is not possible to accurately split these estimates down for students who lived at home and away from home, as they are calculated from a number of sources with different coverage.
	
		
			 Estimated take-up of maintenance loans by eligible students domiciled in England 
			 Academic year Estimated take-up (percentage) 
			 2004/05 79 
			 2005/06 80 
			 2006/07 80 
			 2007/08 80 
			 2008/09 80 
		
	
	Maintenance loans provide a contribution towards the student's living costs while at university. All eligible full-time students are able to take out a non means tested upfront student loan to finance their tuition costs in full.

Summer Time

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what consideration he has given to proposing legislation to amend daylight saving time.

Edward Davey: We are aware that there are a range of views on this subject. While the Government do not propose to change current summer time arrangements, we continue to listen to representations we receive and consider any evidence presented to us.